It follows
by Allison Moose C
Summary: ((GENDER NEUTRAL)) Reader is running from financial problems and his/her studies, will they catch up with him/her? Charlie's close friends (none other than Sam and Dean) go to check up on the reader due to Charlie becoming worried for him/her. Trouble pursues, as the reader wants to keep silent about his/her struggles.
1. Chapter 1

You sat alone at the edge of a bed, which you could only wish was yours. It must have been at least the fifth bed in a year. The room was oddly spacious for a motel room, but you couldn't complain. It had been the nicest stay yet, despite only being there for only a week. It wasn't new to you, since you started running from your debts, hoping the authorities wouldn't find you under your false IDs or credit cards. You needed a break, that's all. Yet again, when do you ever get a break in life? You were overwhelmed, just _so_ overwhelmed. You just wished time would stop, only for several moments. Thinking seemed to be hard to come by at this point, you just had to act and flee. Finally lost in your thoughts, you jumped at the sound of your shrilling flip-phone on the lamp table beside your bed.

"Cathy Bates, how can I help you?" You spoke into the receiver automatically.

"(Y/n), it's me, Charlie. You don't have to use the false identity ya know." A feminine voice replied.

"Charlie? Charlie Bradbury?" You asked.

"Well duh, who else would this be? You don't actually think they would track down a phone that isn't in service long, would you?" She asked with a chuckle.

"No, no, of course not.. Just being precautious.. I didn't check the caller ID, sorry." You answered honestly.

"That's okay, I understand!" Charlie piped.

You smirked, something you rarely did anymore. You thought of what she could be doing while on the phone. It seemed quiet on the other end, so she was likely at her aunt's house. The thought of her had you reminiscing briefly of what you had, making you feel very glum and nostalgic.

"So, how are you? I haven't heard from you in a while, and I got worried. How is everything working out?" Charlie asked, even though she likely had an idea.

"Like you would expect, stressful and honestly a bit terrifying." You replied quietly, "I miss you so much.."

"I kind of figured.. I miss you too, (y/n)." Charlie sighed, "Why don't you hide out at my aunt's place? I bet I know a few tricks to help you out!"

"I appreciate the offer, but you know that's not a great idea. It's too risky staying in the same place, especially with someone with a record like you, no offense. You're also a great friend Charlie, I would hate to have anything happen to you." You said still in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, you're right. And none taken, I completely get that." She said.

You smirked again at the inseparable bond between you two, it made your heart glow dimly. It was a couple moments before interaction continued between you and Charlie.

"Hey, uh, I hope you don't mind, but I sent two good friends of mine your way, you know, to check on you." Charlie said, interrupting the brief, warmed silence.

" ** _What?!_** " You exclaimed.

"It's okay, I know them real well. And yes, I know you don't want to see anyone or get anyone involved, but I can't drive out there myself right now, I'm immersed in law, you know that." Charlie said calmly.

You sighed. You loved Charlie to death (and back), but you really wished she hadn't done such a thing. She did it for good, you knew that, but it was such a risk. So you had time to prepare, you thought over your options.

"I've gotta go." You stated firmly.

"(Y/n), wait-" You barely gave her a chance to speak before angrily closing the cheap flip-up.

You tossed the phone behind you on the bed and rubbed your face in distress. Sighing, you pondered on what you would do when her 'friends' stopped by. There was always the option of pretending to not be in the room, but Charlie likely told them enough to not leave until you were found. You could lie, just until they leave. That is, if they bought it. You were running already, and you could easily ditch the motel. And hopefully, outrun them. But you were tired, and you barely got to settle into the space you became accustomed to.

Your mind was racing, and your thoughts were a mess, as if any of that was new.

"I'll just go with it." You mumbled to yourself as you fell back onto the bed.

You reached over for the remote on the nightstand and switched on the tv. There wasn't anything expected to be on, since you were at a motel, in the early evening. You flipped through a couple dozen stations, until you came across Animal Planet; _better than nothing_.

The gazelles danced in front of your vision gracefully, sending you completely into another world; any place other than here. You smiled to yourself at their simplicity; your mind subconsciously traveled back to the unfinished stories of Carver Edlund. You thought about how much you missed them, how you missed home, how nothing was constant, if it ever would be..


	2. Chapter 2

Note: (y/nn) stands for: "Your nickname". And I apologize for the wait.. I have things going on, and I sometimes use this story to help me with my problems. I really hope you guys enjoy it so far! I love seeing that it already has some viewers and followers, that's so awesome! I'll try to update at least once a month, maybe more, maybe less. Anyway.. Enjoy!

PPS: I tend to find mistakes when I re-read, so sorry in advance! I normally don't make time to look over everything.. I probably should.

* * *

Several loud bangs jolted you from unexpected slumber, and almost caused you to clumsily tumble out of bed. You sat up disoriented, trying to register the source of the bangs. It took a couple more repetitive bangs for you to look to the direction of the door. You ears finally picked up someone half-shouting your name from behind it, causing you to race to the peep-hole. Two tall men stood impatiently outside, and started to converse amongst one another.

"Should we force our way in?" The slightly shorter one tried to whisper in a hushed tone.

"Dean, no. Charlie said (he/she) might not willingly answer, so just give (him/her) a moment." The taller one replied calmly.

You crumpled your bed-head between your fingers and sighed softly, remembering your previous conversation with Charlie. You quickly debated your options, and slowly unlocked the chained and bolted door. Knowing Charlie would be better unworried, you decided to let them in. Slowly, you creaked open the door a quarter of the way, still unsure if you should let them enter. The two men were even taller than they appeared in the peep-hole, sending your heart pounding. They weren't in any sort of formal wear, so you weren't too anxious yet. The both of them mustered half of a smile as they took in your messy appearance.

"Are you (y/n)?" The taller one asked in a comforting voice.

You slowly nodded, causing your messy (h/c) hair to flop over one of your eyes.

"Hi, I'm Sam. This is my brother Dean. Our friend Charlie sent us to check up on you." The taller one informed.

You slowly opened the door the rest of the way, allowing them inside the room with reluctance. They both took in their surroundings as they made their way into your temporary living space.

"Nice stay you've got here." Dean added, nodding in approval.

"Thanks, I guess." You replied quietly with a shrug.

They both ensued to continuously eye the room, likely searching for any signs of trouble. After a few moments, Dean nonchalantly made his way around the room and Sam tried to maintain a conversation with you. You already knew the diversion tactic, but you played along anyway.

"So...Um.. How have you been? Charlie seemed pretty worried when she called us." Sam asked.

"Honestly? I don't really know." You replied truthfully, glancing over at Dean, who started to rummage through the end table by the bathroom.

"How do you mean?" Sam responded, seeking for an understanding.

"Well... I don't know.." You trailed off and began to poke around with a hole in your sleeve, "It's just been stressful lately, and it's hard to find a word to describe on how I feel exactly."

Sam nodded, and seemed to be recollecting something mentally, as if he could relate. Dean still proceeded to search through some drawers and some of your personal belongings.

"Hey, um, Dean?" You interrupted, causing him to look over his shoulder, "I would really prefer if you didn't look through some of my things.. I kind of need _some_ privacy."

Dean lifted his hands above his head, understanding your need for personal space. He then walked back over to his brother, obviously done searching.

"Well, we have to head out. But, feel free to call if you need absolutely anything." Sam said, handing you a small business card.

The card had a health symbol overlaid by contact numbers, including a personal number at the bottom.

"Disregard the office number, call the personal number instead. And feel free to call anytime." Dean added.

As they head out the door, you couldn't help but notice that they didn't seem like medical professionals.. Or at least one of the two didn't. You flipped the card over in your hand for a moment and tucked it into your jean pocket. As you began to check through your searched belongings, you figured to check in with your friend.

"Hey (y/nn), what's up?" She asked on the other end.

"Hi Charlie, so your friends, Sam and Dean, they just stopped by. I just thought you should know." You responded.

"Good good.." There was a pause, "Listen,-"

"You don't have to apologize, it's okay." You interrupted, already knowing what was coming next.

"Oh wow, you took that better than I thought you would." Charlie half-chuckled.

"You have no idea." You sighed, hearing Charlie starting to laugh into the phone.

"So, how did it go?" She asked.

"It honestly wasn't as bad as I first imagined, except for Dean digging through my personal stuff."

Charlie sighed. "That sounds like him... Sorry about that, I tried to tell them a little bit about the situation, but not too much."

"Thank you Charlie, I honestly don't deserve a friend as good as you."

"Oh come on, yes you do! You just have to see the positives of yourself."

You shook your head with a smirk, you could only wish you thought like she did. "I guess so."

You flopped down into your bed, and stared up to the bare ceiling, suddenly missing your dorm room. Welcoming the rustling on the other end and the silence on yours, you couldn't help but reminisce. You knew Charlie was still on the phone to keep you company, and you wished you could repay her back for everything she has done for you.

"The boys didn't cause you too much trouble, did they?" Charlie asked, interrupting the silence.

"No, they were fine, seriously." You replied.

You then began to realize that the men's names soundly oddly familiar, but you couldn't place where you heard them from. You pondered a moment, before speaking back into the phone.

"Hey Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"Where have I heard their names before?"


	3. Chapter 3

There was a drawn out pause, you could feel the growing tension as you listened to the white noise through the phone.

"Well.. Um," You could almost picture her twirling a lock of her hair around her index finger. "..How exactly should I put this.."

Your furrowed your eyebrows impatiently and made a circular motion with your wrist, even though you knew she couldn't see you. Something was off, Charlie never hid anything from you.

"Go on.." You ushered.

Another brief pause. "Can we talk later? I've gotta go." Charlie blurted suddenly.

You were taken by surprise on her sudden drawback, but you reluctantly agreed to her desires. "Um.. Sure? Text me?" You barely got out the last phrase before the line clicked.

"That's odd.." You thought aloud.

Closing the flip phone, you stretched out your tight back muscles and continued to put your searched duffel back into order, before Charlie's friend had begun to rummage through it. You couldn't help but ponder about her two friends as you continued to go about your evening.

* * *

Charlie slammed the phone onto the receiver and put her head in her hands. It was too close, too close. That's the last thing Sam and Dean needed, was another Becky on their trail. Not saying that you were in any means like that, but it would still be an unnecessary situation. She massaged her temples and jumped as her cell began to vibrate once again. Sighing in relief when noticing the caller ID, Charlie rung herself out as she silenced the shrilling cellular device.

"Heey guyss, sooo how was the visit?" She answered nonchalantly.

"Umm, good. Well, sorta." Sam replied. "He/She definitely seemed a bit on edge, like you said, but he/she seems okay, for now."

Charlie sighed into the phone and leaned back into her swivel chair. She rubbed a hand through her hair distractedly. "Yeah, well.. He/She has a lot going on. Do you think.. You guys could check on him/her occasionally? I'm a bit worried about him/her, he/she hasn't been calling since he/she suddenly left."

"We could do that, sure. You know, he/she might just need some space.. I would know." Sam said, distantly recalling their brief conversation.

"Alright, I trust you.. I'm just worried. He's/She's my best friend.."

There was a brief pause, long enough for them to stir through their emotions. It was broken by Sam unintentionally clearing his throat.

"So, what're you guys up to now?" Charlie asked a little too quickly, arousing from her thoughts.

"Uh nothing really, just searching up on a case. How about you?"

"Um, same. I mean- Not a case, but just the same old jumbo." She blurted

"Ah. Well, I'll be sending you some things we've come across for our hunt, but don't worry if you can't get to them, I understand you're busy with school." Sam acknowledged.

"Yeah, uh I can give them a look soon, I just need to do some chores first.. I'll text you."

"Al-" Sam was interrupted by a soft click on the other end.

He looked at his phone and put in on standby, in case if Charlie decided to call back. Dean glanced over at Sam with curiosity, and he drove down an empty backroad.

"So?" He asked

"I don't know.. She seemed a little jumpy." Sam replied with uncertainty.

"Jumpy how?"

"Just.. Like she was hiding something."

"It's probably nothing, or else she would tell us." Dean reassured.

"True." Sam nodded.

For the next few hours, all that could cross Sam's mind was Charlie and you. Despite the endless stretch of road, scenery, and the reports on the laptop, he couldn't help but think back to his times at Stanford, when he thought his troubles could never find him.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: I had a rough couple of months, so I am truly sorry that I couldn't write. I wasn't in a good mental state, and I had to get away for a while. I was also caught up with school work from 'getting away', so bear with me. Here is the newest chapter that I took two days to work on (had a writer's block in the middle), enjoy! Thank you for all of the love so far everyone!

* * *

"Alright, so I say we crash here for the night, wrap the case up in about a day or two, and hit the road." Dean thought aloud, dropping his large duffle bag next to the bed farthest from the door. "What do you think Sammy?"

Sam scoffed and looked at his brother in utter disbelief. "Dean, what about (y/n)?"

Dean cocked an eyebrow at his brother. "What about (him/her)?"

"'What abou- _Dean_ , (he/she) needs help."

"(He/she) seemed fine to me. What makes you think otherwise?"

"I don't know Dean, maybe I was in a similar situation? I saw the look on (his/her) face; (he/she) was running."

"From what? And we probably can't help (him/her), Sam. Plus, we don't even _know_ (him/her)."

"Maybe _we_ don't, but Charlie does. And Charlie is family."

Dean sighed and began to unpack his bag. "It's the least we can do for her." Sam added.

He turned around in slight annoyance and reluctantly obliged to his brother's requests. "Okay okay, fine. Jeez. It's not like we don't have enough problems on our plate, right?" He snapped back with indignation.

Sam thanked his brother with a small smile and began to unpack some of his belongings. He powered up his laptop as he began to search through some of the police reports. Dean felt more security knowing Sam didn't want to completely drop the business and help another random citizen, who was not likely affected by their line of work.

"So, what do we got on 'Piranha' here?" Dean asked, peering over his brother's shoulder.

"Well, all of the vics are missing the heart, so we can already narrow down the culprit-"

"Werewolf." Dean interrupted.

"Bingo," Sam replied, emphasizing the 'B' "but, I can't find any connections between anyone. Not race, records, area, relations... nothing."

"Of course. When is it _ever_ an easy hunt for us?" Dean grumbled.

Sam huffed in concurrence as his older brother practically jumped on top of the mattress and flipped through the Cinemax stations, skillfully turning on the bedside lamp in the process.

* * *

You looked over at the digital clock on your nightstand once again, the clock read 8:01 PM. Charlie would have likely text you some sort of message by now, she wasn't normally this busy. Usually, she would find time during breaks or before she turned in for the evening. You flipped open your phone to its plain background and started up a new message. After pondering, you settled on asking if everything was okay and sent the message. It wasn't until you were doing your bedtime routine that the small screen on top of your phone lit up. A little too urgently, you paused your nightly routine and rushed over to the night stand. When you found out it was Charlie, you exhaled air that you didn't realize you were holding.

"Yeah, everything is fine. Just a little last minute homework, no need to worry."

Even though the answer sounded reasonable, you couldn't find yourself believing it. Charlie wasn't a procrastinator, and she never broke off a conversation that suddenly, ever. You and Charlie had been friends since middle school, and you could read her like a book. There was no denying that something was wrong, but what exactly could you do?

"Are you SURE? I'm here for you Char, always." You replied.

Almost instantly, you received her one word reply, confirming her emotional front. She was keeping her stance, and whatever she was hiding, had to have been important enough to hide from her best friend, you. Sighing, you returned to the bathroom to finish your last task for the evening.

You turned in around the same time you did every evening, early. Just in case if you needed to sneak out into the world at dawn, you would be ready to adapt to the rapidly changing situation. But you couldn't drift off so easily tonight, your thoughts were plagued of Charlie, your old life, the simplicity, your dreams... And those two men, Sam and Dean. You stared at the ceiling, searching your wired brain for an answer. An answer to this life you were living, to your best friend cutting you off, to her two friends stopping by unexpectedly... No matter how much you searched, you had to keep returning to the drawing board.

Just as you began to close your eyes, a flash of light briefly scanned the room from outside your window. Sleep was the least of your worries now, they were after you. You briskly jumped out from under the covers and snuck over to the curtains. Sure enough, as you quickly peaked outside, there were two officers walking along each patio, occasionally speaking into their CBs. They were here, and you had to run. You stealthily covered your tracks and packed a couple of the belongings that were astray from your suitcase. You were lucky that the moon shone brightly tonight, or you were sure you would be constantly tripping over the furniture in the dark.

You crept back to the window with your suitcase by your side, hoping with every fiber of your body, that the officers were gone. Of course, you were wrong. The two men were still on the patio next to yours, chatting away about an unknown conversation. They could have been here for another reason, but why risk it? There was no way out, you were trapped, _a goner_.

"Unless.." You thought to yourself.

You grabbed a free umbrella from the umbrella stand by the door and took your stance. You weren't going to go out that easy, you would fight.

You opened your eyes to the suddenly bright room, and slowly stood up from the wall. You must have passed out without knowledge. Looking around the untouched room, you wondered what aroused you from sleep. A hard, gentle set of knocks followed your thinking.

"(Y/n)? It's Sam and Dean, open up."

Could you trust that? Without confirming you were there, you slowly opened the door and stood behind it with uncertainty. You heard guns click as the set of feet walked slowly into the room. It was the two officers, _they were after you_.

"How am I going to pull this off?" You thought to yourself.

You were just going have to make it up as you went, as always. You came out from your hiding spot from behind the motel door and swung rapidly at the two figures in front of you, being blinded from the sudden light difference in the room.

 _"Ah_ , _shit_! (Y/n), it's us!" The figure hissed in pain.

Your eyes slowly began to adjust to the room, seeing Sam keeled over and his brother pointing a barrel straight at you. The umbrella dropped along with your stomach.

" _What do you think you're doing_?" Dean exclaimed, not lowering his weapon an inch.

"I- I thought you were-" You stammered. You couldn't tell them, they could turn you in. They could be friends of Charlie, but that didn't make a difference in the world. "Never mind, sorry. Got startled."

They both looked at you in disbelief, and then at each other. Sam raised his eyebrows, cueing Dean to lower the gun. Still a bit upset, he tucked the weapon into his waistband, as if he would need it later.

"(Y/n), is there something you should tell us?" Sam asked, finally standing back up.

"No, not really!" You snapped. "What about you? Why would a medical professional carry a damn gun? Care to explain?"

Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Dean cut him off instantly. "It's good to be cautious in this world, got a problem with that?" He defended.

"No, I guess.."

"Good. Now why don't you start explaining why the hell you ambushed my brother and I, and then we can call it even."

You just couldn't trust them, there was no way. Open up, and you knew you would be spending the next few months behind a stand, facing a judge and some lawyers.

"I can't." You responded firmly.

"You _can't_ , or you _won't_?" Sam asked.

"I have to go, I'm sorry." You said suddenly.

You stormed out of the door with your belongings as they called after you, wishing they would just disappear. Just before you reached your car, you stopped in your tracks as you stood inches away from a car. But it wasn't just any car, it was a special car. A black 1967 Chevy Impala, the car the Winchesters drove. It was _the_ car. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. You knew exactly where you heard their names from.


	5. Chapter 5

NOTE: I want to apologize for not updating monthly (again). Deadlines came up and I had a break with a relationship of mine a month back. I had to take a break from supernatural for a while, since it constantly reminded me of the individual I cut off from my life. But I am more healed now, so I decided to start back up again. Thank you for your patience.

* * *

You turned around to face the two men standing outside your room's doorway, mouth agape and face frozen in a shocked expression. They weren't medical professionals, they were fucking Sam and Dean Winchester. Your best friend was friends with them this whole time, and she didn't bother to tell you that they existed?! You took a long look and blinked furiously, wondering if your mind was playing tricks on you from little sleep. But they still stood there, rigidly, puzzled as to why you were still standing there like an idiot.

"What?" Dean asked, still confused.

"Y-You're the Winchester brothers- Aren't you?" You almost blurted out, slowly walking closer to the two men by your door.

The boys exchanged another puzzled glance with one another before returning the expression back to you.

"Yeah..? Wait, are you a hunter?" Sam asked, observing your hunter-like apparel.

"Oh no no no. No, I don't... Hunt..." You trailed off, turning around.

You couldn't believe this, they were real. They weren't fiction, they were standing _right_ in front of you. You suddenly felt a little upset with Charlie, and wondered why she wouldn't be so hasty to let you know. She knew you were a huge fan of Edlund's work. You would have to settle this out with her later, when the two men of your dreams weren't standing right in front of you.

"How do you know about us then?" Dean asked, bringing you from your thoughts.

"Um... It doesn't matter." You answered, unsure if you were going to scare them off or alienate them. "Wait, why would you be tailing after me? I don't have something after me, do I?"

The boys looked at each other again in disbelief, obviously wondering how you could possibly know who they were and what they did day in and day out.

"Well how about you tell us? You definitely seem to be running a wild goose chase from something. Maybe spill those details?" Dean responded, receiving a hard nudge into his side from his younger brother. He blew it off and kept a steady gaze on you, arms firmly crossed across his chest.

Even though you were familiar with them now, you still weren't sure if you wanted to give them a large portion of your life story. You weren't even sure if they were the same as the books depicted them.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing? Doesn't seem like nothing sweetheart. You've been on edge since we had entered into your room a couple days ago." Dean pushed.

"I don't want to talk about it." You simply responded.

" _Dean_." Sam muttered through clenched teeth.

Dean closed his eyes, massaged his tense temple, and exhaled audibly.

"Alright, fine. Don't talk. Not my problem." Dean grunted, making his way to his precious muscle car.

"Dean, wait." Sam called out, just as his brother opened the driver side door. In response, Dean almost slammed the car door in arrogance.

"We can help, (Y/N). You can tell us and we can help you, or you can keep it locked up and run for the rest of your life. You can trust us, we won't tell a single soul." Sam explained gently, placing a hand on your shoulder.

You pondered briefly, before sticking with your gut. "I think I'll risk the running around, but thank you anyway."

Sam smiled with a sad expression in his eyes, completely understanding your decision.

"Well, you know where to find us." He responded, walking towards his brother and the car.

And then you instantly felt it, the belonging and your heart throbbing. Maybe you've found your place in life, and you didn't have to run anymore.

"Wait." You blurted, hoping not to regret your decision.

You made your way to the car, which you swore made a soft purr as you drew nearer to it.

"There is something you can do for me, actually." You continued.

"And what's that?" Dean spoke up, almost failing to hide his irritation in his voice.

"I want to go hunting with you guys."


	6. Chapter 6

Dean instantly cut the engine and looked at you incredulously. Expecting the reaction, you held up your hands in defense.

"Look, I know what you're thinking-"

" _Absolutely_ not." Dean interrupted, resulting in a look from his brother.

"Well wait, Dean. (S/he) seems to know what they're doing." Sam interjected.

"Sam." He warned.

"Give us a moment, (Y/N)." Sam said, stepping away from the cooled car.

This had to work, it had to.

"What the hell, Sam?"

"Dean, give (him/her) a chance. (S/he) said they know what they're doing, and (S/he) is definitely capable. Besides, maybe a couple hunts would get (his/her) mind off of whatever is chasing (him/her)." Sam argued.

"You believe this? Sam, I'm not being responsible for another person. Plus, we don't even know (him/her)! (Y/N) may know about hunting, but it doesn't mean (s/he) _can_ hunt."

"(S/he) can. And yes Dean, I do believe (him/her). I think I understand (him/her)."

"How?"

"How can you _not_ see it? (Y/N) is basically submerged in my footsteps. Maybe we can help (him/her)!"

Dean absently rubbed his hand down from his mouth and sighed.

"If anything happens, this is on you." Dean relented.

"Alright, fine!"

The two brothers strode back to their car in unison, not daring to argue any further.

As they stood on opposite sides of the hood, you could feel the tension vibrating off of them, and you started to reconsider your decision.

"Dean and I have come to an agreement," Dean huffed in response. "You can tag along with us."

"But, we're doing a little training first. Got it?" Dean added sternly.

You nodded vigorously, just wanting to finally belong. Hopefully not worry about anything else along the way.

"Let me just... Get everything situated." You responded, heading back to the ajar door to your room.

You quickly grabbed the room key on the end table and ushered your bags into the back seat. You told the guys about returning the room key as you made your way to the main office.

Is this really happening? It can't be... It's like a dream come true. If anything, it's too good to be true.

"(Sir/Ma'am)?" The receptionist said, bringing yourself out of your thoughts.

"Hm?" You blinked. "Oh yeah, sorry. Here are my room keys, I'm checking out."

"It's about time! I mean, I don't mind you staying, but you've been in there for a while.. Long family trip?" He inquired.

"Nah, I just like to travel a lot, that's all." You replied with a smile.

"Ah, you're one of those individuals." He said, taking the keys you held out.

You hummed a response and handed him your fake credit card, hoping it would do for the last two nights.

"Enjoy the rest of your day!" He called out as you left.

"Thanks, you too!" You said.

Walking back to the car, you lived in the moment. Already planning out what you would do, just like in the novels... Only it would be real.

"We'll talk later, we'll figure this out." Sam told Dean as you approached the car. "Ready to go?"

You nodded. "Yeah, all set."

"Alright, then let's get on the road." Sam said.

Gently, you sat in the back seat of the Impala, fearing you would disturb it if you forced yourself into the car too roughly. You ran your hand across the cool leather seats and a shiver ran down your spine as the car came to life. It was better than you had ever imagined.

You looked back at the motel as the three of you pulled away towards the main road.

"Where to?" You asked the brothers.

"Well, we were actually working on a possible case before we made our way to you, want to take a look?" Sam responded.

You grabbed the laptop from his grasp and scrolled up to the article marked: "Seventh Wild Animal Attack In A Month's Period".

"We were thinking it might be a werewolf. Animal attacks aren't this common in Indiana." Sam informed.

"Sounds about right. Did you go check out the bodies?" You asked.

"We're headed there tonight, actually. You could tag along-"

The car braked to a sudden halt, and was fumed with hot air from the silent driver.

"Sam, outside, **now**." Dean grunted almost inaudibly.

The two of them stepped out of the car, Dean almost slamming the driver side door behind him. It made you wonder if he held a grudge against you, since he had been distant lately.

You almost wished you had not overheard their conversation, even though they were almost a dozen feet from the car.

"That's it Sam, _last straw_."

"Look, I never said (s/he) had to come in with us, but we can't just leave (him/her) at the motel!"

"And why not? It would be no different than leaving (him/her) in the fucking car!"

"Dean, something is chasing (him/her). I don't know what, but it wouldn't be safe to just leave (him/her) miles away. Sure, you won't be responsible. But you know what? You're going to blame yourself anyway! If something happens, what would you do then?"

Dean walked slowly back to the car, kicking up some gravel in frustration. He muttered something you couldn't make out and jumped back behind the wheel.

"Sorry Baby, anger got the best of me." He apologized and kissed the steering wheel.

Sam sighed and bent his tall frame in order to fit into the car.

"Everything.. Okay?" You squeaked quietly.

Dean turned around slowly with a grin plastered onto his face. " _Everything's great_."

You fidgeted and looked out the window. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all.

After a little while of driving, your eyes began to droop. The lack of sleep from the night before was catching up to you, and you couldn't stop it.

"(Y/N), we're going to be driving for a while, why don't you close your eyes?" Sam suggested, startling you awake.

"No, I'm fine. Maybe I just need to stretch my legs." You responded sluggishly.

"You look like you barely slept. Close your eyes for a while, you're no good to us exhausted. We'll make sure nothing will happen to you." Sam assured with a smile.

You weighed your options momentarily and decided to take his advice, knowing Sam was right. Slowly, you unbuckled your seatbelt and laid across the two seats. The scent alone was calming enough, and it wasn't long before the hum of the engine lulled you to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Hearing (his/her) breathing even out, Dean firmly gripped his steering wheel, prepping himself for the long needed talk. It looks like there was a God, because the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

"Okay Sam, I don't care if you see yourself in (him/her), but (Y/N) can make (his/her) own damn decisions, (s/he) isn't four."

"I'm not making decisions for (him/her) Dean. (Y/N) can object any time, if (s/he) doesn't like a decision. We'll let (him/her) know the plan at our next stop, so we can give (him/her) more options. I'm just trying to guide (him/her) down the right path, so (s/he) doesn't have to go through the same crap I went through."

"Oh yeah, you're _totally_ doing a great job with that. We're taking (him/her) on a case, Sam. A case. How is that leading (him/her) down the right path exactly?"

"Because I'm giving (him/her) a choice. I wasn't given one, so maybe I can at least provide that for (him/her)."

"You were given a choice. Yeah, maybe your fiancé burnt on the ceiling and I was stuck in purgatory for a year, but you took an opportunity."

"Yeah, but it all came running back after me _anyway_. It doesn't have to be for (Y/N)."

Dean looked back at (his/her) still form, already starting to see what Sam saw. It was like looking at his little brother all over again. (Y/N) shifted in (his/her) sleep, absently turning towards the back of the leather seat. (S/he) sighed, returning back into (his/her) slumber.

"No.. It doesn't have to." Dean echoed.

* * *

It was a rainy night, and you were walking home from the local diner, where you had met your study group to review for a Calculus test the next day. You walked up the steps of the apartment and looked behind you, feeling uneasy. Shaking off any excess water along with your rain boots, you followed the aroma of freshly cooked hamburger to the kitchen.

"Mom, I'm home!" You called out.

After not hearing a response, you cautiously continued to the kitchen, hearing more than just your mom's voice.

What you saw in the kitchen, was your worst nightmare. Two men in uniform, were consoling your sobbing mother. One looked up, and locked his eyes with yours.

"Are you (Y/N)?"

You didn't dare to speak. You couldn't, even if you tried. Your vocal chords were stuck, tangled. In a flash, you bolted, straight back out the door you came through, not even glancing at your boots.

The two officers yelled after you as you raced down the drenched sidewalk. Their boots pounded behind you, along with your heart, which was threatening to jump out of your chest.

Suddenly, there was a whole stampede. The ground rumbled, and sirens rang everywhere. Your eyes were blinded by bright flashing lights, you were running out of places to run.

You snapped your eyes open to Sam gently shaking you.

"Hey, sorry to wake you. But I wanted to ask. Do you want us to drop you off at the nearest hotel, or do you want to just stay in the car while we check out the bodies?" Sam asked.

You squinted at the blinding light source above your head, making your head pound slightly. You were all likely refueling and taking a quick break from the long stretch of asphalt.

"No, I'll stay in the car. One less trip for you guys to make." You answered groggily.

Sam smiled in return to your response and backed up when you made a move to sit up.

When your head finally stopped spinning, you observed the small gas station you were parked at. The place was practically deserted, except for the occasional vehicle flying by, headlights flooding the road ahead of them.

"How long was I out?" You questioned upon observing your surroundings.

Sam glanced down at his prehistoric phone. "A couple hours, that's all. We still have a bit to go, if you need to get some more rest."

You grimaced at that decision internally, and stood up to stretch your stiff body.

"I think I'll pass on that." You managed to escape through your groans and the cracks of your joints.

You looked over to the small, brightly lit building to see Dean at the front counter through the double glass doors. Likely paying the clerk the appropriate amount of cash in exchange for the fuel.

 _Cash? That's odd, they normally used credit cards more frequently in the books_..

As you gradually started to wake up, your bladder was suddenly screaming at you, threatening to explode. You silently thanked God that you weren't still on the road.

"Sam, I'll be right back.. Bathroom break." You blurted, running straight for the small building.

Dean gave you a questioning look as you burst through the glass doors. Ignoring Dean, you frantically asked the clerk where the bathroom was located, and of course, he shook his head in response.

"We actually don't have indoor restrooms yet, sadly. But we do have outhouses outside, if you truly need to use them." The clerk answered sorrowfully with a cheeky smile.

 _As if this night couldn't get any worse_.

You thanked the man and headed outside to the portable bathroom, already smelling the stench miles away. You should have known, but your senses must have been dulled from sleeping. Reluctantly, you stepped in the musty, foul-smelling port-o-potty, already beginning to take a trip down memory lane.

The outhouse made you recall back to camping with Charlie, along with her aunt and uncle. When you were both stressed and went out there together, to get away from everything. You missed those times, and you wondered if it was worth running away from them.

Traveling back to the now running Impala, you unknowingly checked your surroundings, just in case. To your luck, a police car was stationed on the pump next to the impala. _Shit_. Not wanting to look suspicious, you nonchalantly strolled to the door facing away from the officers, and got in.

"You took a while.." said Dean, peering over his seat. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

You subconsciously made yourself as small as you could in the back seat and swallowed hard.

"Yeah, no, I'm good. Just women stuff." You rambled, having the desire to leave the area as quick as possible.

Dean and Sam looked at one another. Sam moved his eyes towards the road, as if he knew exactly why electricity was flowing through your veins. With a sigh, Dean took off. He glanced in the rear view mirror, trying to find the source of your obvious fear.

It wasn't long before the soft purr of the impala had unwillingly pulled you unconscious, once again. But you could have sworn you could make out you the boys mumbling something about you before you drifted back to your nightmare-plagued slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

"Sam, we're going to have to talk about this, one time or another." Dean interjected as you slept on.

"I say we just let (him/her) figure it out Dean. Unless if there's some monster or something on (his/her) tail, there isn't much we can do. Wounds take time to heal, as they do with you and I. Me with Jess, you with mom.. Must I go on?"

Dean sighed. "I hate to see someone live in so much fear, Sam."

"We can try to talk to (him/her) when (he/she) wakes up, how does that sound?"

"Sure, if (he/she)'ll talk." Dean responded as he slowly pressed harder on the gas.

By the time the sun began to rise, the car pulled into the small parking lot of Atom Motels. You were still sound asleep in the back seat, despite the puddle of sweat soaking your once dry hoodie.

The brothers glanced back at your finally still form. Sam smirked, wishing he didn't have to wake you up from a chance on good rest. He was barely surprised you were still out cold when they groaned loudly outside of the vehicle.

Dean retrieved their duffles from the back as Sam gently aroused you. Although you were just sound asleep, you almost sent the younger Winchester to the roof.

" _Woah woah_ , hey, it's just me. We're here." Sam reassured you.

You tried to catch your breath and observe your new surroundings. You felt relieved when you remembered that you were currently sitting in the impala, at a run-down motel, with the Winchesters.

"What city?" You asked, rubbing your eyes.

"Arco, Idaho." Dean stated as he closed the trunk and the back car door.

You nodded in response and hauled your luggage out towards the main office. You stopped yourself. _Hold on, do I really want to show my face in there? They'll know my face. If cops had or will show up? Best if decided to wait outside._

Without your knowledge, the boys were now staring at you.

"You okay, (Y/N)?" Dean asked, surfacing you from your thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm good." There wasn't any easy way to put this. "Um.. I'm not so good with people, can I wait for you guys out here?"

"You'll be okay?" Sam asked.

"I mean, you guys will only be in there for less than a minute, right?" You asked for self-reassurance.

"Yeah." They responded together.

"Kay, yeah, I'll be good."

The siblings both strode to the small main building as you tried to appear nonchalantly in a corner.

"Alright Mr. Gao, Mr. Turner, your room is number 12. Here is your key; come see us if _anything_ is needed." The receptionist informed in a thick Indian accent, adding a wink at the end.

Sam and Dean raised their eyebrows and slowly turned to one another.

"Will do." Dean replied, sliding the worker his number, without breaking eye contact.

Sam coughed, as the room seemed to grow tense.

As soon as they stepped foot outside, Sam slapped his brother's head.

" ** _OW_**! What was that for?" Dean exclaimed.

"Dean, we're _kinda_ busy? We have a (boy/girl) terrorized to death from who knows what, and you're thinking about a _hookup_?"

"Oh c'mon Sam, I'm aloud to have a little fun once in a while!"

"Well not this time, _definitely_ not this time."

Dean growled in response as they searched for (Y/N), said to be right by the doors.

"Where's (Y/N)?" Dean asked.

His question was answered as they heard heavy breathing coming from an outside corner.

* * *

" ** _OW_**! What was that for?" Charlie asked, after receiving a slap to the arm.

"Meg, Char, college isn't all fun and games, you only have so long until what you 'studied' is owed back in cash!" You replied.

"You gotta live a little (Y/N), life's too short!" Megan interjected, downing the last of her Jack Daniel's.

" _Live a little?_ Megan! You have less than a month left of college, and you don't even have a _job_ yet. You think you can _'live a little'_ forever?" You scolded.

"Shut up mom, I'll be fine. The government pays more attention to the economy than drunk evaders." Megan said.

You all reached Megan's red SUV as the street lights began light up the side roads. Megan placed her beer in the cup holder and started the ignition.

"Woah woah, Megan, I think maybe we should walk back to the apartments." Charlie suggested.

"Nah, that's too much work." She slurred.

"You're a little too drunk to drive." You added.

"Fuck off, mom."

Not even two minutes into the drive, a set of blue and red lights flashed the rear view mirror, sending you all to the side of the road. You held your head in your hands, wondering why you even bothered to be friends with her.

"Ma'am, have you been drinking?" The officer asked, shining a beam of light into the car.

"Nnnnope." Megan replied, trying to sound as sober as possible.

"Uh huh, can I see some identification?"

Megan dug through her purse, pulling out her surprisingly undamaged driver's license and handed it to the deputy. After returning from his patrol car, he made sure he looked her square in the eye.

"Megan Masters, correct?" He inquired.

"Yes?" Meg confirmed questionably.

"Step out of the car please." The officer ordered.

The officer made her do a series of alcohol tests, such as the breathalyzer and walking test. She undeniably passed the first few, until the breathalyzer came into place. It seemed like time dragged, and you could only watch as they took her away.

"(Y/N). Hey, (Y/N)."

You sharply inhaled as the world suddenly burst back into blinding color. The boys were huddled over you on the ground, worry etched onto their faces. You realized wetness trailed to your neck, and quickly wiped it away, as if they didn't notice.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Sam asked.

What did happen? You heard two men talking, and then you were on the ground. Why couldn't you remember?

"I'm.." You paused, wondering if they should know. "okay for now."

It wasn't like you expected them to take that lie, they were the Winchesters. But you couldn't trust them, not yet. For all you knew, they could turn you in and leave you behind.

"Okay? _**Okay?!**_ " Dean fumed, pulling you up quickly.

Sam made a move to interject, but Dean simply pushed him aside and made his way to the last door of the motel block. He jammed the keys inside and pulled you quickly inside, Sam following suit.

"Don't you _dare_ fucking tell me you're okay, when you're clearly not!" Dean shouted.

"Dean, enou-"

"No Sam, okay? I've had enough. There's something you're hiding, and it's bound to drive me nuts sooner or later. You need to tell us what's going on, or you're not going to be trusted, period."

 _Wow, even Dean Winchester pushes you away, nice going._

"I can't."

"You _can't_? Or you _won't_?"

"I don't know." You then ran into the bathroom, before your façade fell right into his fiery depths. You slammed the door before they could even try to plow through it, and cried. You cried as quiet as you possibly could, hoping something out there could hear you, at least this one time.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam glared at his brother as (Y/N) tried to suppress (his/her) breathy sobs in the bathroom.

" ** _Dean, c'mon!_** " Sam shouted in a subdued voice.

" _What?_ " Dean retorted quietly.

"Don't you think you were a _little_ harsh on (him/her)?"

"Uh, no? I'm telling (him/her) how it is, Sam. (He/She) can't live like this forever, and it would be too risky to have (him/her) on a hunt in this predicament. And we can't really babysit!"

"We don't need to babysit, (he/she)'s clearly old enough to do that. Putting how you feel like that isn't going to help (Y/N), it'll just make the situation worse. (He/She) needs to come out on (his/her) _own_ means, and the only way to do that is to make (him/her) comfortable with us."

"You know what? **Fine**." Dean said, tossing the room key to Sam. "I'm going out."

Sam silently scoffed as his brother slammed the door behind him.

"What a child." He mumbled.

They had just got there, and yet, his brother decided to put on a show, once again. It was more like Sam was babysitting Dean. Hearing (Y/N)'s cries calm to sniffles, Sam lightly rapped on the bathroom door. After receiving no response, Sam took it as a signal to proceed.

He found (Y/N) against the porcelain tub suddenly looking small and shriveled, as if (his/her) father had scolded (him/her) for drawing on the walls. (His/her) hair was both crumpled and standing in different directions. (His/her) face was slick with tears, and (his/her) eyes were moist, yet dry enough to see grit forming on (his/her) caruncles. Even though (he/she) didn't dare to look the younger Winchester in the eyes, all was in plain sight.

"Is it okay if we talk? Dean left... and won't likely be back for a while." Sam started calmly, fearing he might startle (him/her).

Considering what you knew from Edlund, Sam's story had some connections. After all, he seemed pretty open and understanding. Maybe you could ensure your trust onto him a little, and see how things turned out. You nodded slowly in response to Sam's request.

"Alright." Sam made himself more comfortable on the surprisingly not-as-grimy, tiled floor. "There's one thing I want to clear up first, Dean."

You could only imagine where this was headed.

"You may not think so, but he cares about you. He just.. Doesn't want to latch on. Every time he feels he cares for someone-"

"-He feels they'll leave.." You finished instantly.

"Correct." Sam replied.

You wondered what he would ask, if he would even really question you. Were you going to do all of the talking? Were you going to have to resurface those horrid memories? There's no telling, but you still felt safe with Sam. Even if you had not known him, you would likely trust him. He was so compassionate and understanding, what was there not to trust?

"You don't have to tell me everything, or even anything, but just know I'm here for you (Y/N)." Sam said "Because I think I know what you're going through, I really do. And maybe.. I could help."

You believed him, but trust went a long way now a days. After the way Dean just treated you, who knows if Sam is the same? The books can't be 100% accurate... They were supposed to be fiction after all. You wondered if they knew about them.

"I don't really want to talk about it." You replied softly, becoming interested with the floor tiles.

"Alright, that's fine. Just know we're here for you. It may not seem like it, but Dean will listen too." He reassured.

 _Were you doing the right thing?_ You couldn't help but think that their lives would be better without your current dead weight on the run.

* * *

Dean sighed with pleasure as the liquor burned his throat. The bar around him was crowded and filled with life, but he was just a random customer passing through. This was what he liked, and he couldn't imagine it any other way. While he drowned his emotions, the world continued on. The world likely wouldn't have continued without him and his brother, but it continued on.

He could get away for a while, he didn't have to think about a troubled (guy/girl) wallowing in their emotions. He could just sit and think for a while.

The more and more he thought, the more he became confused. Dean wasn't with Sam when he went off to college, he wasn't living in his brain either. Maybe he understood less than he thought. And that realization made him even _more_ pissed. One quality he envied of Sam was his deep understanding. He never quite grasped it, not really.

He wanted to trust his brother's intuition, he really did. But when has his understanding really helped them? Was this Sam's act of saving his younger self, or was there more to it?

"Sir?" A light voice snapped him back to the surrounding atmosphere.

"Sorry to bother you, but is that all?" The female bartender inquired.

"Yeah yeah, I'm good. Thank you." Dean replied gruffly.

He smiled, left a tip for the lovely lady, and head back out to his beloved car. Maybe he'd drive around for a bit, before he had to face what lay back at the motel room.

He marveled the wondrous purr as he started the engine and took off onto the empty stretch of road.

About forty five minutes into his drive, his one cellphone shrilled from inside the glove compartment. Even being upset, he couldn't refuse a phone call, not knowing what his brother may have gotten himself into. His mind was more clear anyway, and he was ready to face whatever was on the other end of the line.

"Yeah?" Dean answered, guessing it was Sam.

"Dean?" A small voice returned.

He glanced quickly at the caller ID. Seeing Sam's name, Dean began to think the worst. He illegally turned around and began to speed back the way he came.

"(Y/N)? Where's Sam?! Is he okay?"

"Yeah, yeah he's fine... Just in the shower."

Dean let off the gas; he was never good at these type of conversations.

"Okay...So uh... What's up?" He asked.

"I just..." Dean heard (his/her) breathy sigh. "I'm sorry about earlier." (He/she) mumbled audibly.

He didn't know what to say.

"I... I couldn't control what happened. I barely even know what happened.. And I feel bad, that you have to put up with me.. I can leave, if I'm too much. It's fine." (Y/N) tried to explain.

Now it was Dean's turn to sigh. "Look, (Y/N)... You don't have to be sorry. If anything, _I'm_ the one who should be sorry. I blew up at the wrong place and the wrong time, and you happened to be the tiny cause of that. There's been a lot going on lately, and I'm admitting it. I don't understand what's going on, and it's why I got upset."

Silence grew heavy on the other line. Did he say something wrong?

"..You mean it?" (He/She) squeaked.

Dean mentally gave himself a big, fat face palm. "Yes, (Y/N), I mean it."

The tension dissapated as quickly as it came, leaving him listening to the almost unheard relief passing through (Y/N). "I'll be headed back your way in a bit, do you want anything special to eat? It's on me."

You ended the call just as you heard Sam turn off the shower faucet. Not wanting him to know anything just yet, you sat nonchalantly on the bed farthest from the outside doors and windows. It was almost impossible to not glance at Sam's well-toned body peeking out from the motel towel around his waist. He gave you a confused look as he searched the room briefly.

"Were you on the phone? I could've sworn I heard you talking." Sam asked curiously.

"No, um. I was just talking to myself." You lied.

You weren't sure if he believed you, but it was worth a shot anyway. The less you had to talk now, the better. There were things you wanted to sort out in your head first, like if you should burden their lives with yours any more than you had to.

Sam dug thrugh his duffle for another pair of clothes as his stomach occasionally let out some monster groans. It made you wonder how long it would actually be before his brother returned with the food he promised.

"Hey, you want to grab a bite to eat? It might be a while before Dean gets back." Sam offered.

"Actually, could we wait a bit? I'm still a bit... shakey." You replied with a believable pained expression.

"Yeah, sure, no problem." He said warmly.

It was around noon by the time the Impala engine ricocheted off of the thin walls of the motel. You had never felt so excited yet slightly nervous at the same time. Dean was on the phone with you over an hour ago, a long hour ago. Had it been any longer, you were _sure_ Sam would've dragged you to eat something, resulting in missing Dean's return. You felt this moment was important; the brothers needed to see eye to eye for this to work out.

The lock pins clicked softly and the door was slowly wedged open. You would have helped Dean with the stacks of food, if it weren't for the fact that it would be a dead give away that you had called him earlier.

No need for trust issues on the first day settling in.

"Alright, I say we grab a bite, and head to the morgue." Dean insisted casually.

Sam lethargically glanced up at his brother, putting on the best bitch face he could currently muster up.

"Unless if the vics are multiplying by the hour, _I_ say we eat and get a couple hours of sleep. Besides, werewolves don't normally hunt until the moon is lighting up the sky." Sam pushed.

Dean looked back at the digital clock set on the nightstand, which currently read 12:04. He dragged a hand down his face and sat down in compliance.

"That sounds fine to me." Dean responded, the energy starting to sap out of him slowly.

As the boys began to stuff their faces with a hearty burger (a side salad for Sam, of course), you dragged out your favorite dish out of the bag. You had not had it since you were at home... _Years_ back. Nostalgia flooded your system.

You smiled as you removed the lid from the plastic container. "Thanks Dean."

Sam looked up surprised as Dean accepted your appreciation without a pause. He noisily set his fork down and cleared his throat lightly.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" Sam asked aloud.

 _Finally._


	10. Chapter 10

"You were talking to him on the phone while I was in the shower, weren't you?" Sam asked.

"Maybe.." You replied with a slight grimace.

Sam's well known puppy-dog look almost drew you in.

"You didn't have to lie to me (Y/n), it's alright."

You shrugged, not really wanting to get into detail about your doubts.

Thankfully, no one seemed to press on, so you all ate in silence. It wasn't awkward, yet there was still some tension felt in the air. Maybe they were too worn out from the drive to insist anything too greatly. You didn't really know, but you accepted it with open arms.

It was only a few moments later that you completely licked your entire foam plate clean. You hadn't had a decent meal like this in what seemed like forever, and you couldn't have been more grateful. You looked up to the boys' mirroring surprise.

"You gonna eat the plate too?" Dean chuckled.

You quickly pulled your tongue back in and turned a deep shade of red. "No.."

"We can get you something else if you're really that hungry, do you want anything?" Sam asked.

You were about to say no when your stomach grumbled in protest; as if you didn't feel like a burden enough.

"That just means I'm digesting, I'm good." You lied, again.

Sam looked at you in disbelief. "Are you sure, (Y/N)?"

You nodded before you had a chance to change your mind. "Yeah. Hey, are we doing more research on the case? Or are we going to check out the vics first?"

The brothers luckily took the bait. "We'll check them out first, just to give us some more concrete evidence on what we're dealing with. Gotta be thorough." Dean replied with a wink; his mouth stuffed with the last of a burger.

That was odd, Dean always seemed to jump to conclusions... At least from what you read. Maybe the books were different after all.

"I'll call the coroner to see if they'll take us earlier." Sam said, whipping out his phone.

"And if we can't get ahold of them," Dean made his way over to his duffle bag. "we'll head to the victims' loved ones, since we're headed there eventually."

Out of the large aged duffle came a suit neatly folded in plastic, which Dean seemed to be a little too cautious with (at least compared to his own clothes). He also pulled out a long navy tie for himself, along with a snazzy pair of shoes; which were still in a cardboard box. It then clicked that he and Sam rented their suits, and did not possess enough money to own one. Then it dawned you, that neither did you.

How had you not thought of attire for the case? _Oh yeah, flashbacks._ You shook your head to clear the memories that threatened to take control once again, and pondered deeply for a solution. There had to be something in your suitcase, right?

You instantly bolted to your luggage and dug for anything remotely businessesque. You were disappointed to remember that you left a lot of your clothes back at the dorm, figuring that traveling light would be best. But you didn't think you were going hunting with the Winchesters, so you didn't think to pack hunting essentials almost a year ago. After digging for a few minutes, you came across one of your dress shirts and a decent pair of slacks.

"Dean?" You asked a little timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Would this pass for an FBI agent?" You asked, holding up your outfit.

He paused from laying his suit out on the bed and gave your outfit a quick once-over.

"I think we could pass you as an agent-in-training at least." He remarked.

Sam walked over between you and Dean, explaining that the coroner would take you all within the next hour. Surprisingly, you weren't as far as you thought, as the three of you were situated on the outskirts of the city where the incidents all occurred; Kokomo, Indiana. With an acceptable amount of traffic on the road, it would take around forty minutes to an hour to get to the coroner's office.

"We better head out in a few then, if we want to get there in time." Dean replied.

Sam nodded. "You have something to wear (Y/N)?"

You held up the outfit Dean approved of, causing Sam to bite the inside of his cheek.

"We can always say she is an agent in training." Dean reassured.

"True.." Sam looked at the outfit once more and nodded. "Yeah, we can make it work. Alright, let's get going."

* * *

It wasn't until you got in the car that you knew it would be a long day. Your stomach began to rumble noisily again, but it was luckily unheard by everyone but yourself. You just hoped you could hold off at least until supper that evening.

You used water to tide off your hunger curb on the fifty minute drive to the Howard County Coroner Office, figuring that the sight of corpses would only decrease your appetite anyway.

"You ready?" Sam asked as you stepped out of the back seat.

You nodded with a gulp, knowing there certainly would be no turning back after seeing those haunted mangled bodies. Dean gave you a wary look, but you pushed him off mentally with an assuring nod. Although, you couldn't help but look back from the office steps at the world as you knew it.

"Agents, glad you could come earlier!" A stocky balding man beamed, in front of a small receptionist's desk.

"I'm glad you allowed us to, Mr. Seele." Sam replied.

"Is (he/she) a friend of yours?" Mr. Seele inquired.

"Oh, yeah. This is (Mr/Ms) Blaise, (he/she)'s our newest agent in training." Dean said.

Mr. Seele smiled warmly. "Well welcome to you too (Mr/Ms) Blaise!"

"Thank you." You replied as professionally as you possibly could.

He nodded in response. "Well boys, let's get right to it; I have a couple other clients to attend to this afternoon."

"No problem sir, it shouldn't take long." Sam commented.

The three of you were led down a slightly musty corridor. The room you were about to enter was a couple doors down on the right hand side, considering that this was the sole room to have extremely bright fluorescent lights. The boys looked at you one last time before they stepped into the room first. As another reassurance to yourself and to them, you curtly nodded.

The strong smell of chemicals watered your eyes as soon as you stepped foot into the room; the faint smell of multiple different bodily fluids and decomposition only made your stomach turn worse. How could someone even work in a place like this on a daily basis? You tried to focus on some more pleasant situations as the Head Coroner and the brothers discussed the bodies.

"I would definitely call this an animal attack, a weird one if that." Mr. Seele inferred, "You'll see what I mean once I show you the bodies."

 _Here we go._ You tried to prepare yourself for the worst as he slid out seven bodies from their storage compartments; you weren't nearly as prepared. Bile burned the back of your throat as you slowly inched closer to the boys and the stiff shells of life that lay before you. They would have looked as if they were asleep if it were not for the large gaping holes in their chests.

"Do you have their reports on file, doctor?" Sam asked.

"We certainly do." He replied, pulling the coordinating files from multiple clipboards on a long table.

The names of the victims were Brayden Cole, Theodore Cromwell, Zachary Gort, James Page, Wanton Meers, Thomas Gartner, and Kelly Marx; as if that mattered anymore. They were lives of the past, that were currently who knows where. The only thing they all seemed to have in common thus far was the garish chest wound on each of their bodies. They weren't all the same gender nor same race, but of course, that wouldn't matter to a werewolf.

"I would have to agree with you doc, on the animal attack, but we'll still dig deeper anyway. We'll take it from here." Dean said.

"Alright. Just be sure close the door behind you!" The coroner responded.

"I would definitely say a wolf is what we're dealing with, the victims seem to have no relation to one another." Sam concluded as he flipped through the various reports.

You swallowed audibly. "It _does_ look messy enough." You added.

"Now we just gotta find the culprit." Dean said, striding out the door to the morgue.

You were hasty to follow.

* * *

You greeted the fresh air as if you would've never been outside from that moment on, at least for the rest of the day. It made you wonder if this lifestyle was really for you.

"How are you, kiddo?" Dean asked once you all were outside of the building.

"Um... I mean, I'm hanging in there for now, if that's what you're asking." You falsified.

"Good, because we still have a couple more people to interview, if you're up to it."

You sighed in relief for the distraction. "As long as I don't see more bodies f-"

It was literal word vomit. Contents likely from this afternoon spewed from your mouth onto the concrete steps and you choked. Your head spun, causing you to cling to the railing desperately. Several hands were placed on your back, but your head swam too much to tell who they specifically belonged to.

"Easy, easy!" Dean exclaimed.

Shivers traveled through your body as you finally finished emptying your stomach. You were sure that you would have lost it in the morgue, not around ten minutes later. You suddenly felt better but worse at the same time. So much for playing it cool.

"What the hell." You mumbled.

"(Y/N), hey, you okay?" Sam asked with a frown.

You cleared your throat and spit the remaining bile out from your mouth. "I think so." You answered truthfully.

Sam and Dean sat you down away from the vomit and comforted you for a moment more.

"Do you have any reason that my body decided to wait to freak out over a dead body?" You asked.

"Shock maybe?" Dean replied.

You lightly nodded, considering that they had their fair share of dead bodies to observe and deal with over the years.

"You good to go back to the car? Or are you going to spill your guts all over my leather seats?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm good." You knew the remaining nausea had to be from the lack of food in your system.


	11. Chapter 11

_********Depression/self doubt triggers are in this chapter... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!*******_

"Are you sure you're good? I mean, I could drive you back to the motel if you need." Dean asked, turning around in his seat.

You exhaled, still feeling a bit weak from the events that unfolded earlier. You wanted to back out, but you knew you couldn't. No, you had to prove yourself to them. You were a hunter now, and hunters had to suck it up.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's get this over with."

You stepped out of the car shakily and drank some more water, hoping Sam and Dean wouldn't notice your unsteadiness. Of course, you knew you couldn't get away with it that easily; they weren't stupid.

"Just follow our lead, okay?" Sam said.

Well, duh. For all you still knew, the books weren't fully accurate. This wasn't fiction, this was real. You just nodded, not having the strength to respond back.

A tired looking young teen, probably no more than seventeen, answered the door. Despite the obvious lack of sleep, she looked quite youthful. She groggily looked up and mustered a small smile.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Hi, um, are your parents home?" Dean solicited.

"Uh yeah, let me grab them, one sec." The girl said, calling for her parents.

Momentarily, she came back with her father; a slightly buffed man wearing a flannel shirt.

"Hi Mr. Cole, we're Agents Garvin and Tarrant. This here is our agent trainee, Ms. Blaise." Sam elbowed your side as him and Dean held out their 'badges'; "we just wanted to ask some questions on your son, Brayden, if you don't mind."

The father responded without a beat. "Sure, come on in."

The interior wasn't too modern, but it was beautiful. It reminded you of an '80s house that didn't age. Everywhere you turned in the house was something beautifully carved or handcrafted with wood. He led you all to a cozy sitting room, which would have looked like a funeral parlor if it weren't for the wooden walls.

"Did you do all of this yourself?" You asked, gesturing around the room.

"Yes. Actually, it's in the family, woodworking. It's been a great distraction from... well you know." He faltered.

"We're very sorry for your loss, Mr. Cole." Dean said. "Is there a chance your wife is around?"

"Ah, yeah. Sorry, she probably was too preoccupied to hear the door. Let me grab her for you."

"Weird how they are handling this, huh?" Dean said as soon as Mr. Cole was out of earshot.

"Not really, all people grieve differently." You said.

You all turned to the sound of Mr. Cole's voice consoling his mute wife, as they slowly shuffled into the room you were situated in.

"Hi Mrs. Cole, we only have a few questions, if you don't mind." Sam said softly, gesturing to a rocker diagonal to the couch.

Mrs. Cole looked as if she was a more broken shell of her own daughter. Her eyes were similar; tired, but lost and frantic. Her hair reminded you of a bird's nest; just shy of some twigs and dwelling creatures.

"So we understand that your son was out on the night of his passing, was there anyone else with him at the time?" Sam continued.

She slowly shook her head in response; her husband rubbed her noticeably tense shoulders and stepped in.

"Brayden was out back grabbing some more wood for us; we have always allowed him to go as far as he needs to, to get a nice bundle." -He paused- "I don't understand how something could get the upper hand on him like that, he wasn't ill-prepared.. Why are the FBI interested in this anyway? It was only an animal attack, an accident."

"We're just making sure it truly was an accident, Mr. Cole." Dean said. "Now, did Bray-"

" ** _Why would it not be an accident?! Our son's heart was ripped out, which was clearly an animal attack! If you're suggesting that someone went after my son, who is clearly capable of taking on someone-"_**

"Hey, Molly, it's okay." Mr. Cole said gently.

 ** _"No, Ben, it is not okay. Our son wasn't murdered, he was attacked by an animal, that's it."_** Mrs. Cole sobbed.

Ben embraced his hysterical wife into a firm hug, doing all that he could to calm her.

"They're just making sure hun, it's okay. They aren't assuming anything."

She sniffed in response and faced the three of you.

"We're just doing our job Mrs. Cole, that's all." You said, instantly sensing your own experiences seeping in. You gritted your teeth, hoping to keep the memories at bay.

At your comment, she relaxed slightly and sat back down on the rocking chair. Dean looked at you in shock, while Sam sent an approving smirk. You figured you could give this a shot, seeing that she complied to your empathy.

"Do you or your son have any known enemies?"

"N-no.. Everyone loved Brayden, and I can't think of anyone who would have anything against our family." Mrs. Cole said just above a whisper.

You nodded in response. "Could we maybe see your daughter?"

"Of course." Mr. Cole said.

* * *

It turns out the only thing Jayden, Brayden's younger sister, had to add was that a girl had been seen around lately; almost as if she was trailing her brother. Any info was better than nothing.

"Here's our numbers, call us if anything else comes up." Sam said, handing her a fake business card.

She nodded and all three of you left the residence.

"You didn't do half that bad in there." Dean remarked.

"I guess it just kind of came to me." You said.

"Well, in this line of work, it's a good thing to have. Don't forget it." Dean said.

You sighed in relief as you sunk into the leather seats, even though you knew you were nowhere near done for the day.

"Alright, well I say we head to the Marx family next, since the break in the vic pattern is a little odd." Sam said, looking over numerous files.

"I'm glad I wasn't the only one who caught that." You said.

* * *

"Kelly had no one out for her, not that we knew of anyway." Mrs. Marx said. "I mean, she was just an average girl," -She sniffled and dabbed at her eyes- "How could anyone do this to her?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out here, since it's highly unlikely for an animal attack like this in the streets." Dean replied.

"Well... Kelly was bisexual.. I think that's something to note.." Rachel, Kelly's cousin, added.

Mr. and Mrs. Marx stared in shock.

"Oh." Dean mumbled audibly.

"Why didn't she tell us before?" Mr. Marx asked.

Rachel bit her lip. "With the way your other distant relatives reacted... She thought all of you would be the same."

Their hurt eyes gnawed at your aching stomach, only adding to the nausea coursing through your body. You couldn't help but wonder how the boys handled this day in and day out; all of the hurt just... drained you. You were only on your second victim, and you still had five more hurt families to go through. At this point, you could just about keep up with the conversation and tag along; it took too much strength to converse. You were sure the boys noticed, but you didn't even care anymore. You were weak, and you knew it. _Perhaps this life isn't for me._ Ringing started to form in your ears and your field of vision was starting to decrease; you knew you were a goner. If it weren't for the loud vibrations around you and a hand waving in front of your face, you probably would have passed out already.

"Ms. Blaise, hey, are you okay?" Dean asked, louder than usual.

You swallowed, feeling a thick substance forming in your throat. Everyone was staring at you, as if you had just watched your dog die. Your body felt like nothing, like air; your brain was almost mush.

"I think I need to take a breather, can you unlock the car?"

The concern on the boys' faces only grew even more obvious; as if it wasn't evident already.

"Um yeah, sure. I'll go with you." Sam said, taking the keys from Dean.

"I'll be out in a bit." Dean called after Sam.

The world was a tilt-a-whirl as soon as you stood up; you used whatever you could to not topple over like a complete idiot. Sam offered to help you multiple times, but you just pushed him off, feeling weak enough already. You couldn't have been more embarrassed to be in that car.

"Care to share what happened in there?" Sam asked.

You didn't even bother, since you were probably going to be kicked to the road after tonight anyway. You didn't need the fake pity from anyone, and you certainly didn't need reminding of how much stronger these men were.

After a stretch of silence, Sam tried again. "Look, (Y/N), we want to help you, okay? We can't help you if you hide things from us. If it isn't that pressing, you don't need to share, but this is obviously pressing."

"You can't help me, Sam Winchester." You grumbled.

"And why is that?"

You debated if you should let loose, or just stay silent until you were on the road again. You had no one to vent to, not really. Charlie may have been your friend, but could you really risk telling her? Could you risk telling anyone?

"Fuck it." You said to yourself. You shifted so you could look out to the quiet houses; the ones with their normal lives. You could feel Sam's eyes boring into you.

"You know why you can't help me? Because, there are more important things in the world to worry about. Why on _Earth_ would I be important? Because I was close with Charlie? **Bull**. She needs to move on, Sam. I'm not important. I'm only causing more trouble in everyone's life. At this point, I'm just waiting for you two to move on too, because I don't belong. Not with you, not with Charlie, not with anyone."

Before Sam had the chance to argue, the driver's side door opened. Great timing, since you were out of energy. The car bounced as Dean got inside, making your queasiness stronger. Luckily, you would have nothing to throw up, since the water had likely digested by now.

"Everything okay?" Dean asked, turning around.

"Fine." You grunted as you rested your head on the cool window.

You could feel his eyes on you, but you chose to ignore them, as you did with Sam's.

"I think we should head back to the motel; I'm starting to think we have enough to work with." Sam said, glancing back at you.

" _Oh_ no, don't you miss out on more information because of me, don't you do that." You seethed.

Dean apparently caught on. "I agree. We can always figure out the werewolf's location back at the room, using the files from the coroner and the two interviews we completed. And if we need more information, we could always head back out later or even tomorrow morning."

" _Are you serious_? By then, we could have another victim on our hands! At least get a couple more interviews in, please. I'll be fine, I'll just wait out here." You argued.

Dean nodded and pondered for a moment.

"I have a better idea." Sam said.

You moaned and lightly hit your head on the window in aggravation.


	12. Chapter 12

You collapsed onto the bed right after Sam opened the motel room door; not even glancing at either of them, nor bothering to remove your shoes. Despite how fatigued you were, you forced yourself to semi-consciousness, in an effort to hear about the case you failed to keep up with.

Sam tossed his keys onto the small table and set down his case files. You assumed the silence was the boys glimpsing over at your 'sleeping' form. They spoke in hushed tones, as if you were a light sleeper (which they clearly knew you were not).

"(S/he) explain what the hell happened back there?" Dean asked.

"No, not really. Like I was trying to tell you before, something is definitely going on."

"Well, you should definitely figure out what that is, before (s/he) slows us down or gets (her/him)self hurt. I'm gonna head out and interview the rest of the families; give me a-. Actually, you've got this, never mind."

And with that, the world outside the door became muffled. Sam sighed and you heard him walk over to you. The bed dipped and you felt Sam's slightly colder, gigantic palm on your forehead. Unaware in your state of consciousness, you leaned into his touch. He smirked and briefly smoothed the hair away from your face, before straying back to his research.

At the absence of human contact, you unconsciously moaned and rolled over. Sam peered over his shoulder to see your back facing him. He brushed it off as nothing and resumed reviewing the individual cases.

Unbeknownst to him, nightmares would soon plague your brief rest.

* * *

Suddenly, you were in the old school hallways. The notorious mixtures of body odor, perfume, and wax flooded your nostrils as you observed the crowd of students moving past you. It was exactly like it was before, feeling lost and alone while life drawled on around you. Although, you could not differentiate that of the world around you from the physical world existing outside your dreams. You were a reprogrammed robot, running around like a headless chicken, but feeling as if everything was wrong. Before you had more time to think, you felt someone push roughly against your backpack. Turning around, you caught your two closest friends, Megan and Charlie, laughing and book-ending your sides.

"Hey (Y/N), whatcha thinking about? That cute (boy/girl) in History class today?" Megan chuckled.

"No, um, just thinking about what I'm doing later on." You said.

"Speaking of plans, you want to hang out later? It's Friday, after all." Charlie offered.

"Yeah, sure. I don't see why not." You replied.

"Sweet! I totally can bring out the good stuff too." Meg said.

You rolled your eyes as the three of you walked to Megan's SUV in the student parking lot. She blared the music all the way to her house while you weighed your options in the backseat. Did you really want you continue to go on this path that you didn't want to head down? Was it really worth it? Did you really want to be miserable anymore?

"You okay, (Y/N)? You're a little quiet back there." Charlie shouted after a while, bringing you back into the car.

You nodded in response, not bothering to yell over the music. She sent you back a concerned glance and returned to face forward in her seat.

You arrived at your friend's house and almost jumped out of the car in order to avoid the inevitable 'sharing and caring' with Charlie. You anxiously waited at the door until Megan unlocked it, then proceeded to nonchalantly follow them into the living room.

"Ugh, I have a week until my monthly payment comes about." Meg said, looking at an envelope from her mailbox.

"You're the one who chose to go to college." Charlie remarked.

"Yeah, but not for this shit." Meg said. "My mind is focused on the fun, not the blah blah blah."

She paused for a moment. "But now I'm wondering if it's even worth it.. I mean, I have my connections now, so... Maybe I'll just drop it after this semester?"

She seemed so set in her ways, you envied it. Maybe that's what you were missing, something solid to hold onto. Maybe that's why you weren't really feeling it, you needed something else. But what would that be?

"Anyway, screw the future. Let's be in the now and down some whiskey and weed, huh?" Meg said.

You and Charlie agreed quietly as Meg went to the pantry to grab everything. Your insides sunk as Charlie finally spoke up.

"Now, if you don't mind, what's on your mind?"

"I can't do this anymore Charlie." You said.

"What do you mean?"

" _This._ " -You waved your hands wildly in the air- "This path, this life. I need something different; I don't want to be stuck here anymore." You explained.

"Well then change it, you're the only one who can." Meg added, walking into the room.

But you didn't know how; where to turn, who to go to.

"But there is one thing I can do, until I figure it out." You thought to yourself.

You stood up and started towards the door before Charlie ran to stop you.

"Where are you going?" They both asked with deep concern.

"I have to go."

" _Where?_ "

"I just have to go, I'm sorry."

You turned to the outside and were met face to face with two bold officers. Your heart hammered and you slowly spun around to your friends, who were slightly more confused than you were.

"Not so fast, (Y/N)." The first officer said.

"You can't leave without _them,_ now, can you?" The second officer added.

Suddenly, squad troops burst through the windows and snatched up Charlie and Megan, who both screamed in shock.

" _(Y/N), what's going on?_ " Megan shrieked.

"And we'll be taking her as well." The second officer said, pulling your cuffed mother into view.

" _ **Mom!**_ No, don't take them, please." You begged.

"Then you need to decide, (Y/N)," the first officer responded, "or all of your dignities and weaknesses? They'll be gone. **Forever**."

You sobbed as you backed up through the broken window, already feeling the tinge of regret in your stomach as you fell to the ground.

* * *

Dean sighed as he entered into the motel room, causing Sam to glance up from his research. He glanced over to your slightly restless form on the bed, trying his best to ignore it for now.

"You find anything?" Sam asked, looking over his laptop.

"I think so, but I'm not sure," Dean replied. "All of the victims were taken in completely different areas; doesn't that sound weird to you?"

"Well, not really, since it could be a pack of werewolves that just spread itself out over a full community." Sam said.

"True, but what about the victims' corpses? Didn't they seem odd to you? I mean, they ate a little more than the heart, if you didn't notice." Dean pointed out.

"Maybe they were salvaging or something?" Sam guessed.

"I don't know man, this case feels a little off, and it isn't just because of the new addition over there." Dean said, gesturing over to you.

You moaned, causing them to look over in guilt; they were hoping they had not accidentally disturbed you.

"How has (s/he) been?" Dean asked.

"She's been a little fitful since she laid down, but I made sure to check that (s/he) didn't have a fever or anything."

Suddenly, you began to hyperventilate and scream out into the room. The boys instantly rushed over to see a sheen of sweat across your face and damp spots surrounding your restless body.

"(Y/N), hey, wake up!" Sam said loudly, careful to not frighten you.

It took a couple tries, but you eventually woke with a gasp. Looking frantically around the room, you sighed into your palm when you realized where you were. You sniffled and wiped your face, not even bothering to mask your emotions at this point.

"(Y/N), what's going on? I think it would be a good time to talk about it." Dean said.

You took a labored breath and swallowed. "Why does it matter? It isn't your problem."

"(Y/N), we can't help you if you don't let us in." Sam replied.

"It is our problem, because you are with us now." Dean added.

"Am I? Are you sure about that?"

The boys glanced at each other in confusion and focused their attention back to you. "What?" Sam asked.

"You sure I'm not dragging you down? And don't say I'm not; you saw what happened earlier. I'm slowing you down, and it isn't long before you kick me to the curb or vice versa!"

Sam furrowed his eyebrows while Dean raised his in shock, he didn't think you would catch onto the hunter mindset so quickly.

"(Y/N), we don't want to kick you out, you need us." Sam said.

"And you aren't doing this because you feel sorry for me?" You asked with certainty.

"This isn't about that, (Y/N). We actually want to help you." Sam said.

"Seriously?" You asked sarcastically.

"Yes!" Both of them responded in unison.

Your demeanor softened as you took in what was in front of you; they wanted to help you, at least you didn't think so.

"Wait, really?" You asked quietly.

"Why wouldn't we?" Dean responded.

"I'm not a hunter, and I'm absolutely not in the trouble you think I'm in."

"It doesn't matter, it looks like you could really use the help." Sam said.

"Hell, you strayed over to this life, which isn't a good sign. If it wouldn't have been because of us, you would have come across it eventually. This life isn't the best life, not for anyone." Dean added.

"Well it's better for you than for me.. Look at you guys! You've saved so many people, including the world. I'm weak, I'm not even fit for this job. I'm probably not fit for _any_ job at this point. And even if I was? There wouldn't be a point. I can't run from this shit forever, and I'm pretty sure you guys, if anyone, know that." You explained.

Sam sighed. "You're right, you can't run forever. I know, I've tried, and it just comes back to you in the end. But we want to offer you help, because we've been there before; all we had was each other."

"You can leave at any time, but we won't be kicking you out, not anytime soon anyway. We honestly do care about you, (Y/N). Just give us a chance?" Dean said.

You smirked and gave them your best shot, realizing that they truly might give you the direction you need.


	13. Chapter 13

"I was a student, a student who thought they knew where they were going in life. Obviously, I was wrong. After a couple semesters, everything just felt... wrong. I wanted change, but I didn't know how to get it. I figured I needed to start over, completely. I thought maybe I would find my path.. but I didn't. Everything just turned into a mess. I quit my job, and left all of my unpaid loans; I just ran. I cut off almost all ties to 'the old me', except for Charlie. I couldn't leave her, I love her too much. I think she understands somewhat, but I never really told anyone this much in depth."

The boys nodded after you briefly summarized what you had been running from in the past year and a half. You were surprised, they actually looked like they understood you. Maybe they could help you after all.

"(Y/N), I kind of know how you feel." Sam said.

"You do?" You asked, not even bothering to compare them to the Edlund novels anymore.

"Yeah, I mean, this wasn't my planned life at first. Hell, I didn't want it to be. Our father raised us into this life, but I tried to escape it, by going to law school. It didn't matter, because it all came flooding back the moment Dean broke into my dorm with bad news on our father. I tried to escape, but I couldn't, because it was part of my life." Sam explained.

"Like you said, you can't run from shit forever." Dean added.

You smirked; you didn't feel so on edge anymore. If you were all closer, you would have stood up and hugged them both, but you didn't want it to seem awkward. You cleared your throat in slight discomfort.

"So, what did you find out about the other families?" You asked.

"Well, pretty much the same story," Dean replied, "the victim goes out, doesn't come back, and is found mauled by a 'wild animal.'"

"Are they all in the same area?" You asked.

"Not really, but they are all mostly close to this one wooded area, all except one or two cases." Dean said.

"So what, the wolves go out of their way, go into town, and attack?" Sam asked.

"Maybe they had an enemy?" You suggested.

Sam nodded in response. "Alright, so we scope out the woods, figure out how big the pack is, and go from there?" He asked.

"That sounds like a plan to me," Dean said, "You up for it, (Y/N)?"

You smiled at their consideration and nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you guys got my back, right?"

"Of course, we'll do what we can to help you. After all, you seem to need some direction anyway." Dean said.

Sam looked at Dean with a smile. Dean looked back at his brother and nodded. He walked over to his duffle and pulled out one of his silver handguns, making sure the safety was on.

"So, how are you with firing a gun?"

* * *

You all pulled up to a clearing, which seemed to be quite peaceful at this time of night, as it should be. The serenity sure didn't fool you though, already knowing something waited for you in those woods. The boys looked at you in the rear view mirror, you nodded back reassuringly. You stepped out of the car and looked up at the trees towering over you, feeling as if they were going to entrap you.

"Alright, so I figure we scour the area, find out where the pack is located, and meet back by the car in a half an hour." Dean said. "We're going to split up, to cover more ground. Sammy, you're tagging along with (Y/N). Any objections?"

"Nope." You and Sam replied in unison.

"Good, let's head out then."

You walked into the woods, both instantly splitting from Dean. You and Sam took a left, seeing what you could find on the makeshift trails. Dean went to his upper right and had gone completely off trail, to cover where you two didn't. You turned on your flashlight hesitantly, not sure if it was a bright idea. Thankfully, Sam followed suit. The both of you aimed to be as unnoticed as possible, in order to not attract any unwanted visitors. Which was hard to do, since you were in a dark forest, in early autumn.

It wasn't more than about forty minutes later, and you had still come across nothing remotely pointing towards a pack of wolves. There were no odd tree markings or carcasses, just slightly weathered bark, scattered underbrush, and occasional litter thrown about. Plus, it was quiet...too quiet.

"Hey Sam, could we go farther in? It doesn't seem like there is anything left to search in this area." You asked.

"I don't see why not. I mean, Dean is on the complete other side." Sam said. "You're right; these woods are more wide than deep. What have we got to lose?"

You were at the edge of the woods in no time, facing the back of an average-sized manufacturing building and a lonely side street. You hummed in confusion; Sam huffed.

"Something is off, here." You said.

"Tell me about it." Sam replied, also confused.

* * *

Dean searched every inch of the woods, he was sure he did. Hell, he passed the same clearing twice, or at least he thought he did. It was a wooded area, which was literally being surrounded by an endless maze of trees. He wished he brought some sort of tree marker, it would probably have made this way less difficult than it already was. It wasn't the similarity of his surroundings that weirded Dean out, it was the lack of signs pointing towards lycanthropy. He had figured this would be where they would reside, or at least where they scavenged the organs they needed. But there was no trace of anything; no mangled body parts, human possessions, anything. They could have hid elsewhere, but the woods were a perfect area to conceal the bodies, at least for animalistic standards. The only other places Dean could come up with, were some suspicious neighboring houses, and there were none. This was a hard place, and he was the rock.

Just as he was about to turn back, he heard a twig snap. Of course, it could have been any other animal, but not with his luck. Dean instantly turned around to be face to face with a beautiful woman. Her face was elongated and was slightly bruised up. Dean had never been more confused but turned on in his whole life.

"Hey." She purred.

He blinked in confusion as lust took over his body. "Hi." Dean replied huskily, blushing.

"What's a handsome man like you doing out here?" She asked.

"Well, you know, just, looking for something." He stammered.

"Hmmmm. Well, by the look on your face, I can say I found what you're looking for." She flirted.

"Heh, well, I'm not sure." He said.

The strangely beautiful woman stepped closer, making them millimeters apart. Dean's heart hammered in his chest, almost out of nowhere, as he looked at her plump lips.

"I can make you sure." She said with a wink.

She closed the short distance between them, kissing him roughly, but passionately. Dean kissed back, feeling a hot, fiery energy surge through his body. If this was how it felt to be under someone's spell, well, then he liked it. He had no idea how she took his mind off of whatever he was doing, but that didn't matter anymore.

She gradually began to get too rough. Dean winced as she drew blood from the side of his neck, causing him to try and pull away.

"Woah, hey, not too rough, that hurts you know." He commented.

Suddenly, the pain brought him back from wherever his brain was, and he ripped her off of himself. What he saw then, definitely wasn't human, or not a sane one anyway. Her eyes eerily were filled with desire and hunger, and her intentions seemed different from when she first drew Dean into her spell.

"Come on honey, don't you want some more?"

Dean used the small amounts of pain to fight whatever it was trying to use on him, and planted his feet firmly into the ground.

"Don't even try." Dean grunted.

She smiled, showing her perfectly straight teeth, throwing him off completely.

"Oh, come on, don't play hard to get, _I know you want me_." She said.

Dean slashed her arm with his silver blade, which surprisingly had no effect. He furrowed his brows and he looked at her bleeding cut. With the same expression on her face, she closed her eyes and raised her arms. The wind suddenly picked up around them and her cut slowly healed. As quick as it started up, it died back down, and her cut was non-existent.

"I wouldn't have done that, if I were you." She said, pouncing onto Dean.

Luckily, Dean got the upper hand, and he ran off in the direction of the front of the woods. No matter how lost you were in a forest, you could always find the edge. This wooded area wasn't particularly large, making it easier for him to make an exit out. She followed him until he reached the edge of the trees, giving him more of a reason to sprint all the way to the car. You and Sam were leaning on the side of the car, and perked up when you heard Dean crashing through all of the branches.

"Dean?" Sam called out anxiously.

" **Sam, start the car.** " He yelled back.

You both got into your seats; Sam turnedthe ignition key and starting up the Impala. By the time Dean jumped into the passenger seat, the car roared to life and you sped out of the clearing, away from whatever had just happened in the woods.


	14. Chapter 14

Dean focused intently on driving down city side-streets, just in case if the creature back there decided to trail after them. He was bewildered, and honestly didn't know what to think, but he tried not to get too lost in thought as he sped to the motel. Hell, he was lucky he wasn't a midnight snack, based on the way it tried to ravish both Dean and itself.. For a good couple of minutes, the drive was silent, except for the sound of your heart pounding in your ears and an occasional thought passing through your mind.

" _What_ exactly happened back there?" Sam suddenly asked.

"I don't know, I really don't. But whatever we are hunting, it is _not_ a werewolf." Dean replied.

"Did you see what it was?" You asked curiously.

"That's the thing, I did, but, it wasn't anything I've seen before." Dean said.

You and Sam stared at Dean, hoping the discomfort would force him to continue explaining. As you expected, he glanced from the road, back at both of you.

"What?!" He finally asked.

" _What did it look like?_ " Sam inquired.

"Well, it was in the form of this beautiful woman. It looked normal, at least until I slashed it with the silver knife; which had no effect on it, by the way. And it used some sort of power, healing the wound instantly. Not like angel mojo, but… I don't know." Dean explained.

"Anything else?" You asked, feeling like he was holding back.

"Um… well, it's like she put a spell on me." Dean admitted.

" _And you didn't bother to tell us?!_ " Sam asked.

"I thought it was nothing, but I suppose _now_ it could be important." Dean said.

"What did she specifically do to you?" Sam asked.

"I don't really know, to be honest.. It was like she was.. _irresistible_ , and I couldn't control Mr. General-"

"Please don't tell me you..." Sam began to interrupt.

"God Sam, no, I didn't go down on her. At least, I wasn't _going_ to, not until she started biting my neck." Dean said.

Sam massaged the bridge of his nose. "You could have spared the details, you know." He said in disgust.

"No, like, she was actually trying to feed on me, it was weird." Dean explained.

Both you and Sam looked in confusion at the elder Winchester; you hadn't even heard of this in the books.

"I guess it isn't a wolf." You mumbled audibly.

" _Ya think?_ " Dean retorted.

"But that leaves us with one big question.. What is it then?" Sam asked aloud.

Silence filled the car once again as you all pondered deeply.

* * *

As soon as you got back into the motel room, you all instantly hit the books, having no idea where to even start. You weren't really too skilled at this type of research, but you used what you knew from the series, hoping it would suffice. The first topic you figured you could start on, was a shapeshifter, but you instantly hit another dead end, since shifters weren't immune to silver. Your only resort now was anything that ate their prey.

"Could it be a rugaru?" You asked, reading into the lore.

"I don't think so," Dean said, "at least not like any I have ever seen. That thing had complete control, you should have seen it."

Sam cleared his throat briefly. "Maybe it had its urges under control?" Sam guessed.

"Maybe, but it seemed completely human to me, except for the feeding part. No wrinkling skin or black eyes… All normal. There was something about her face though, and I can't put my finger on it." Dean said.

"What about it?" You asked.

"It had a familiar aspect to it, like I've seen the features before."

"Like you knew her?" You asked.

"No, like I've seen similar facial features somewhere before, but I can't remember exactly where." Dean said.

"What were the facial features like?" Sam asked.

"She had a long pointed face..." Dean recalled.

"Like a stereotypical witch?" Sam asked with a chuckle.

"No," You responded, typing away on the extra laptop, "like a fox."

"There it is," Dean said with recognition, "how did you guess?"

"I've watched some interesting cartoons in the nineties." You responded with a smirk.

Dean looked at you with confusion and then to his brother, shrugging when they both didn't get the reference. You clicked on the first link that popped up, since it seemed remotely along the lines of the Winchester business.

"A Kumiho?" Dean asked, reading the title of the webpage.

"Yeah, it says here that it roughly translates to 'nine-tailed fox'." You stated.

Dean hummed in response, peering over your shoulder.

"Common lore says it transforms freely; many say that it turns into a woman, to seduce prey."

You all raised your eyebrows at the last statement and instantly looked at one another.

"This makes total sense," Dean said, "(Y/N), you're a genius!"

You blushed. "I mean, not really.." You replied.

"Are you kidding? It would have taken me and Sammy a good hour or so to crack this, and I think it's only been forty minutes. That's incredible!" Dean exclaimed.

"Thanks." You beamed quietly.

"Yeah, good work (Y/N)." Sam agreed, returning the smile.

Suddenly, the police scanner on Sam's computer popped up without warning, almost sending you to the floor. A male voice roughly came through the small speakers, ordering a squad to dispatch to East Morgan Street, near State Road 931. The attacker was unclear, but a young boy was both badly injured and traumatized by something the officer couldn't exactly place reason on.

"Alright, I definitely feel we should check this one out. It's likely what we're after." Sam said, standing up from his small work space.

"What have we got to lose?" Dean said.

The three of you quickly got into your federal attire and headed out to the general address provided. In a short amount of time you arrived to the scene. Multiple cop cars, and fire rescue squads were swarmed about, flooding the dark, desolate street with flashing lights. You adjusted your 'badge' and made your way to the police car in the center of the scene. A middle-aged cop stood on the side with a small group from the squad, who seemed to be discussing what he came across when he found the boy. The rest of the two teams attended to the boy on the back of an ambulance, addressing his wounds and occasionally asking him questions. You and Dean headed over to the officer, while Sam took to the boy. Your anxiety perked slightly, but you acted as nonchalant as possible, to try and not draw attention.

"Excuse me," Dean said, grabbing the group's attention, "I'm Agent Ford, this is my partner, Agent Griffith, would you care to explain the situation?"

"FBI? Why would you guys be interested in this? Isn't it a little early?" The middle-aged officer asked.

"We've been pinging these types of cases for a brief while, and we think it's the work of a specific killer, we picked this up on the radar." You responded confidently.

"Alright, that sounds reasonable." The officer said to you. "Tend to the scene guys, I've got this one." He said to his colleagues.

After his colleagues dispersed, you instantly asked for details on what had occurred not long before he sent out the alert on the scanner.

"It's weird, I was driving down here, patrolling the park for the evening shift, when this young boy ran straight in front of my car. Luckily, I wasn't going the speed limit, or both of us would have been roadkill. He came right out of the brush over there, and it looked like he got attacked by some wild animal or something. I got out of the car, and asked him what was wrong, and he just pointed to where he ran from. There was a woman, just standing inside the entrance of the woods, staring at us. I shone my flashlight, and she took off running. I couldn't leave the boy, so I called for backup." The officer said.

"Did he ever say what gave him those bites?" Dean asked.

"That's the thing, he said it was the woman." He replied with uneasiness.

"Did you have anyone go after her?" You asked.

"Some of the squad scoured the area, but they couldn't find anyone. Like I said, it was weird." He answered.

"What did the woman look like, officer.." Dean trailed off, gesturing to the cop.

"Mavin, sorry." He finished. "She was thin, her hair was infused with a natural red and a few other natural-born colors. Her face came to a point at the chin, and her nose was small but longer in length… Almost like.."

"A fox?" You said.

"Yeah..exactly! How did you know?" Marvin asked.

"Just intuition." You said.

"And you haven't seen her since?" Dean asked.

"No, thankfully. She had a weird vibe to her. But we have definitely on the lookout." He said.

"Thank you for your time, Officer Mavin." You said.

As you finished conversing with the officer, you saw Sam had already walked back from the ambulance, talking with another officer. He broke off the conversation as he saw you two walking up.

"What did you find?" Sam asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Looks like this coincides with the case," Dean replied, "The officer matched the attacker to a 'T'. It was the same thing that attacked me."

"That's promising; you know what the kid just told me? The lady lured him in, probably just like the other victims. Remember how Brayden's sister said that a woman was trailing her brother before he died? I think that's what has been happening with all of the victims." Sam said.

"I think you're right, but do you think we could take this back to the car or something? Cops make me uneasy." You admitted quietly.

The boys looked at you with understanding and agreed to your reasonable request. Without drawing much attention, you all went back to the beloved car to discuss what would happen next. But just before you hopped into the back seat, you could have sworn you saw two eyes glaring at you in the distance.


	15. Chapter 15

Dean tossed the impala keys onto the small side table and instantly called dibs on a laptop. Sam shook his head and smirked, knowing well that his brother didn't want to be stuck with a load of large books. You chuckled with amusement and stifled a yawn.

"So I assume we are hitting the lore again?" You asked, still unsure of how hunting worked in the real world.

Sam looked at you, slightly puzzled. "Uh.. yeah. Unless you know a way to kill a Kumiho."

"Not in the slightest, this one is a new one for me." You said.

It was Dean's turn to look at you, as Sam was getting settled.

"You seem pretty chill about monsters.. How is that?" Dean asked.

You quickly pondered; telling them about the books would probably be a bit intrusive, especially if they didn't know. Even if they weren't a hundred percent accurate, having something written about you without your knowledge is a little upsetting.

"I mean, I've always had an interest for the supernatural," you internally cringed at that comment, "so I guess I don't scare too easy?"

"Makes sense." Dean shrugged, returning to his research.

"Hey (Y/N), you can continue on the computer from earlier, I think I'll hit the solid lore." Sam offered.

"No, actually, I think I should try to get some rest. I haven't had a lot of it lately, and... I actually feel pretty safe with you guys." You admitted with a yawn.

Sam briefly looked over to Dean with a wide smile on his face. "Oh, okay. I can use both the other laptop and the books then, awesome; more coverage."

You mustered a small smile back and headed to your small bag of belongings. Even though you rarely missed the past, you couldn't help but long for comfort. You never really bothered packing pjs or lounge clothes when you bolted from college, since it would be more to carry. You had figured the few pair of clothes you threw together would suffice at the time, not thinking you would ever feel comfy anywhere again.

"Hey, um, do you want to borrow some clothes? I normally don't offer, but, I mean, it seems like you're kind of low on options." Dean said.

"Could I have a pair of sweats, maybe? If not, I'll just sleep in what I have on." You replied.

"Lucky for you, I always carry around a pair, just in case I want some extra comfort." Dean said with a wink.

Your face burned slightly from embarrassment, but you accepted his offer gratefully. You were so caught up in your emotions, you missed the small exchange of facial expressions the brothers were throwing at each other.

"We'll be right here if you need anything else, (Y/N)." Sam said.

"Thanks guys, seriously." You said, snuggling into the covers.

The brothers replied with short affirmations as you slowly drifted off to a long awaited, sound sleep.

* * *

Sam and Dean both smiled to themselves as you blissfully slept, occasionally checking your sleeping form, just to make sure all was well. For a while, all that filled the room was the sounds of pages turning, and the occasional click of a mouse. Serenity was never really something the Winchesters had much experience with, so they tended to make the most of small moments like this. Although, this felt different. They were protecting someone practically around the clock, someone other than each other. They never really had the opportunity to see someone living their life easier because of them, not in action at least. This was a whole new awakening; one that made them realize that maybe their job was worth all of the pain.

"I'm really proud of you, you know." Sam said, not looking up from his laptop screen.

Dean looked up in sheer confusion. "For what?" He asked.

"You completely opened up to (Y/N). I know housing and protecting someone other than me isn't really on your to-do list, and it really means a lot." Sam explained.

"I know." Dean said with a smirk.

And then, it suddenly dawned him. The eldest Winchester was starting to feel something he hadn't truly felt in a while, remorse.

"Hey Sam," Dean started awkwardly, "you know… I do care. I just... hate having more things on my plate than.. I already have."

"I know." Sam said, being sure to make eye contact with his brother.

A couple hours flew by, and the Winchesters strangely couldn't find anything on how to kill the creature. It was beginning to take a toll on Dean, who already disliked research as it was.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna call Bobby." Dean grumbled.

Despite the visible exhaustion, his brother still clicked away on the computer.

"Good idea, because I've got nothing over here." Sam said.

Dean rang the older hunter, turning down the volume after he put it on speaker. After several rings, a voice mumbled groggily on the other end.

"Hey, Bobby. Um, sorry to wake ya.. But we're digging into a stone well over here, think you could help us out?"

Bobby sighed into the phone and audibly shuffled out of bed. "What is it this time?" He asked.

"We believe it's a Kumiho, some sort of fox-like creature from Japan. We've been researching for hours, but we haven't struck anything." Sam said.

"A Kumiho, huh? That's a new one. What do you need me to help you figure out?" Bobby asked.

"A way to kill it. It doesn't seem to have any visible weaknesses, at least from what we've come across." Dean said.

"Alright, give me a while to wake up here, and I'll get back to you whether I find something or not. Sound good?" He said.

"Sure," Sam said, "we can catch a couple hours of rest in the meantime."

"Sleep well boys."

"Thanks Bobby."

Dean closed his flip phone and stretched his stiff limbs; Sam followed suit. They both glanced at your peaceful form, which had stilled hours ago. The sight alone made Sam smile.

"You know, it doesn't just mean a lot to (him/her), it means a lot to me too." Sam said.

"What." Dean said.

"Supporting (him/her)."

Dean smirked, patted his brother's back, and headed into the bathroom with his duffle. As Sam waited for him to finish his nightly routine, he watched over you, finally understanding the feeling his brother felt his whole life.

* * *

You were startled awake to the shrills of a cell phone. You rubbed your eyes, feeling disoriented. You had no idea how long you had been out, but it was the best you had felt in ages. It made you feel... warm.

"Yeah, here, I'll put you on speaker." Dean said, making you shift your attention to the current situation.

"Turns out there isn't really a known way to kill it, _but_ you can trap it, I think." A gruff voice said through the cell phone.

"You can't kill it, of course. Tell us what you found out about it then?" Sam asked groggily.

"The lore says it's a creature that came about from great longevity or a long accumulation of energy. The Kumiho can only lose its form and turn human with enough will, which makes this hard. Supposedly there are two ways you can 'end' the kumiho. You can obtain a jewel called a chintamani, and make sure the Kumiho sees the full moon monthly. _Or_ you can take an easier route, which involves the creature not killing or eating meat for a thousand days." The man explained.

"And the second option is easier _how_ exactly?" Dean asked.

"It says the chintamani is a single stone, which is _kind_ _of_ hard to get. You have to go to _the_ dragon-king of the sea, who is also known as Makara. Since we have two options here, I say you go for the one that is more obtainable first." He said.

"This is going to be _loads_ of fun." You mumbled.

A tense silence followed, causing you to instantly regret speaking.

"Is there someone else there with you two? I could have sworn I heard another voice." The voice asked.

"Oh. Yeah, we were going to bring it up eventually. We kind of took in another helper, (his/her) name is (Y/N)." Dean said.

"You **_what_**?" He yelled.

"Hold on a second Bobby, I'll explain everything." Sam said, looking at Dean.

Dean gladly handed the angry man over to Sam and stayed silent until his brother was outside of the room. You looked at Dean questionably as he went to sit on the bed.

"Who was that?" You asked.

"That was a hunter friend of ours, Bobby. Well, actually, he's more like a father figure to us. He means well." Dean said.

"He didn't really seem too happy to hear about me." You mumbled.

Dean cautiously put a hand on your thigh and looked into your glimmering eyes.

"(Y/N), we will work all of this out, okay? We aren't getting rid of you, not any time soon." Dean reassured.

"Even if _he_ doesn't approve of me?"

"I'm pretty sure he will approve of you, (Y/N). He just needs to get warmed up to you, that's all. And even if he doesn't, we still approve."

You gave him a watery smile and almost ended up hugging him again. Dean must have seen the hesitation, because he carefully brought you into his arms. You could easily get used to it, the smell of cheap soap and deodorant, with a hint of gunpowder and whiskey. It surprised you; he was warmer than you ever thought he would be, at least for a hunter. He felt like home, he felt safe. Dean briefly rubbed your back and broke away before it could probably feel too awkward.

"You good?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think so." You said with a smile.

"Okay good, because I'm not very good with these chick flick moments." He replied.

"That seemed pretty good to me." You said.

Before the tension could thicken, Sam closed the motel door behind him and gave Dean back his phone.

"I settled it out with Bobby, everything's good, at least I think." Sam said. "He said he wants to stop by in the morning, just so we can pair up evenly."

"I'm surprised he isn't headed here now, knowing him." Dean commented.

"He probably is, but he actually did sound like he could use some rest. I'll take him for his word this time." Sam said.

"I say we get some more sleep then, because we'll probably be out hunting this thing all evening. Unless if something else comes up, with our luck." Dean said.

You yawned in response and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

For once, you all slept until the sun rose the next morning, completely undisturbed.


	16. Chapter 16

Three knocks pounded on the door, instantly waking you from a deep sleep. Your eyes quickly snapped open; none of your surroundings were familiar. You spiraled into a panicked state and began to hyperventilate, completely unaware of the movement around you. Frantically you started to yank yourself out of what seemed to be a hotel bed. Before you could move further, a large pair of hands softly, but firmly framed your face. Looking up, you met a pair of green eyes.

"(Y/N), you're safe, it's okay." The attractive man said calmly, searching your face for recognition.

As you began to fully wake up, you took in the room and slowly recalled the past 48 hours. You sighed and pulled Dean's body closer to yours without hesitation. He tensed up for a moment, but relaxed into your embrace willingly. Before you pulled away, he briefly rubbed your back and smiled reassuringly. Realizing what you had just done, you blushed furiously.

"You good?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, uh, I'm good." You replied quietly.

You turned to the sound of Sam and another man talking, who you could only assume was Bobby. At the sight of your attention, they stopped conversing with one another.

"(Y/N), this is Bobby Singer. He was the one who called us during the night." Sam introduced.

"So this is (Y/N)? The one who decided to tag along with you?" Bobby asked.

"Uh, yeah." Sam said.

"I'm sure you two tested her, correct?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, of course. We made sure to do it while she was out the other day." Dean said.

You turned your head at Dean with a look of pure fear, nowhere near knowing what they could have possibly meant by that. All three men returned your expression with apparent confusion.

"I thought you said (s/he) was helping you." Bobby said.

"(S/he) is." Sam said.

"Well then how about you explain that look on (his/her) face." Bobby retorted.

You gulped, still not knowing how to explain the situation without it sounding unsettling. They all stared at you as you briefly pondered, waiting for your response.

"I- I watch a lot of horror movies, I kind of know a thing or two." You lied.

" _Bullshit_. Horror movies don't teach you this crap. Now, how about you tell us the truth?" Bobby said as he strode towards you.

"I don't think you would like the truth." You admitted.

" **Tough** , because we ain't going anywhere until we know what's going on." Bobby said.

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes. "You know how Charlie is my best friend, right guys?"

"Yeah..?" The brothers said in unison.

"Well, she introduced me into this book series a long time ago, called Supernatural-" the three hunters groaned "-and before you label me as a creep, I'm not another Becky Rosen, _I swear_. I don't want you like that, at all. If anything, you guys... inspire me. When I was going through shit, I wished I could escape with you. I wished I could handle things like you did; I admired you. I didn't want to tell you at first, because, well, I expected this. I didn't want to freak you out. Hell, I didn't even know you guys were aware of the series' existence, and I didn't want to be the one to put that on you, " You explained, not allowing yourself to look at any of them.

Unbeknownst to you, all three of them were not disappointed in the slightest. They exchanged glances with one another before deciding to respond.

"That actually... makes sense. I'm.. honored." Sam said.

You looked up in confusion. "...What?"

"I've never really had someone look up to me like this, ever. And now that I know we could be inspiring others.." Sam said.

"..It means you help more than you realize." Bobby finished, looking them square in the eye. "You boys are heroes, and I've been telling you that since day one."

Flabbergasted, Sam and Dean shifted and looked around; it pained your heart with sympathy. You couldn't help but wonder if those books were almost serving as an autobiography, based on how touched they were.

"Alright, I think we have more pressing matters here, so maybe we could return to this later?" You suggested.

"I agree, let's stow it until this hunt is solved. Now," -Bobby clapped his hands together- "Where are we headed?"

* * *

By nightfall, the four of you set out towards the wooded area, where the Kumiho had been reported numerous times before. You and the Winchesters lead the way in the Impala, while Bobby followed in his rusty pickup. As you hoped, the area was absent of anything but wildlife when you arrived, which would make the search less difficult.

"So, you have a plan how to exactly trap this thing?" Dean asked as he closed the driver side door.

"What, you think I'm gonna haul my ass up here without a decent plan?" Bobby asked.

"I didn't think you would." Sam said.

"Thank you. Anyway, I figured, it's basically a spirit, right? So I looked at some spirit entrapping and banishing spells, and I found a few things. I mean, this isn't your average Casper, but something is bound to work on it." Bobby said.

"Go on." You said.

"Lore says that the most common ways to lure and trap a spirit are with lengths of string, and a jar with certain types of incense, which I have both of." Bobby informed.

"Like a God's eye or a witch bottle." Sam said.

"Exactly. So I think we should try to lure it into the container and have someone keep watch over it, at least until the Kumiho transforms back into a human." Bobby said.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Dean said.

Bobby handed out the materials, which were conveniently and loosely packed into the small jars. Each of you were also sure to grab a heavy duty flashlight and your cell phones before you headed towards the edge of the dimly lit park.

"Can I tag along with Dean this time around?" You asked. "If not, I don't really care."

"Uh yeah, sure." Bobby said.

"Cool. So how are we going to give out a signal?" You asked.

"We have phones, I think that should be good enough for one." Dean answered.

"I think so too;" Bobby said, "be sure to keep your eyes open."

"Will do." Dean said as you split off into different directions.

* * *

"Hey Dean?" You asked, crunching through the foliage.

Dean briefly turned around, but made sure to continue walking. "Yeah (Y/N)?"

"Back at the motel, I didn't really mean to put you guys on the spot there, you know." You said.

"I know (Y/N), I know you couldn't really help that. Bobby can be like that sometimes, trust me." Dean said.

"Okay… Um. How did you find out about those books, anyway? I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just-" You stopped him and turned him around. "-I wouldn't want a series written about me either. I'm just curious, that's all."

Dean looked around before setting his gaze back on you, making sure they weren't being actively hunted. "Is it like a stalker thing or something?" You asked quietly with anticipation.

"No, uh, it's nothing like that." He said. "It's actually a long story, that you may or not believe."

"I mean, the story itself is real, right? There isn't much crazier than that." You said.

Dean awkwardly shuffled his feet, careful to not make too much noise. "Yeah, it's real, down to the last detail."

"I'm sorry, I won't pry-"

A twig snapped somewhere in front of you, silencing any thoughts but of the task at hand. You simultaneously turned to the source of the noise and silently communicated to one another. The forest suddenly seemed a little too quiet, but of course, that could have easily been you. Turning around a thin tree that blocked your view, you jumped back at the close proximity of a doe. Dean chuckled quietly at your reaction before firmly placing a hand on your shoulder. You sighed in relief and surveyed the area, to see if there could have been anything else to blame the noise on.

"Ugh, how long have we been in here for anyway?" Dean asked out loud, pulling out his cheap phone.

You peered over at the digital numbers on his screen. "Almost two hours… Does it normally take this long?"

"Not really," -He scrolled through his contacts until he landed on Sam- "I think I'm gonna give Bobby and Sam a call."

You stepped forward a few steps to give him some privacy, even though he wouldn't likely mind you listening in. It gave you a chance to observe the area anyway, as well as making the situation less awkward for yourself.

"Yeah?" Sam answered audibly.

"We've got nothing over here, how about you two?" Dean asked into the phone.

"Same as you, dead silent."

"We're gonna head East then I think, I saw some more woods on the drive back yesterday."

"Be careful, alright?" Bobby added, apparently overhearing the conversation.

"Of course Bobby." Dean said, flipping the phone closed.

"What do we do now?" You asked as you walked back over to him.

"We're gonna search in the woods I spotted when we flew out of here yesterday, since it's close by. You still up to tagging along?" He asked.

"Of course, I'm not letting you do this by yourself, even if you are Dean Winchester." You said.

* * *

Just as Dean had said, not too far down the road from the last location was a wooded area of similar size. The only difference, was the surrounding environment. Dean parked the car; you looked out the window at what resembled the beginning of the countryside. The previous area was more urbanized, unlike where you currently sat.

"Stay together, just in case if it decides to pop up in here." Dean said as you both made your way to the forest.

"Obviously." You said.

The large field that lay in front of the line of trees was lightly dusted with frost, almost like a warning of what could be waiting for you. Putting action over thought, you shook off the slight cool air and fear, and barreled into the dark forest. You were around halfway in when you realized the vibe had definitely changed. You made a move to stop but instead almost tumbled into Dean, who beat you to it.

"You feel that?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised you felt it too." You said.

"Stay close." He said.

You nodded and continued to quietly trek through the dark trees; a small clearing instantly appeared into your fields of vision. Just as you were about to comment on the irony of it, you froze at the sound of multiple branches crunching to your left. You prepared for the worst and tightly gripped the contents you would need, Dean followed suit. And then, out of the corner of your eye, you saw it, a beautiful woman emerging from the depths of the shadows.


	17. Chapter 17

You quickly texted 'FUNKYTOWN' to Sam's cell phone as the woman slowly approached the two of you. You weren't sure if Dean was in trouble yet, but it was the only 'bro-code' you could think of, and it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Well well well, look who finally sniffed out my trail. I wish I could say I was surprised." The woman said.

"I could say the same for you," Dean said, "leading us to the wrong woods? I should have known."

"Well, I'm not one for consistency, what can I say?" She said, strolling closer.

"Yeah, we can see that. ...What made you change your appetite? I thought your kind only fed corpses or men." You said, trying to hide the the uneasiness from your voice.

The Kumiho was now about a foot away from you, and seemed to be gravitating more towards Dean. Either way, this was the closest you had gotten to something not human, and you did your best to stand your ground. It grinned at you, giving you a glance at its slightly pointed teeth.

"You brought a friend, hm?" The creature cooed, "how sweet of you. You will certainly fill my appetite tonight."

"Well, not to burst your bubble, but you won't be getting any from us." You said.

She laughed and turned to you. "Really? Your tasty guardian here ain't going to do squat," -she briefly shifted her attention back to Dean- "right handsome?"

Dean hummed in response; the anger had completely melted from his face and was replaced with complete admiration and lust. He smiled widely; if the situation wasn't serious, you probably would have laughed at the sight.

"And besides...you aren't a threat to me. What could you _possibly_ do to me? You're _weak_ , worthless.. I can see it all over your face; it's what you feel. And what you feel, is your reality." She said.

Your mind instantly tumbled back to another memory, which was thankfully not all-consuming this time.

 _Dusk had just began to set in, causing you to turn on a lamp by your bedside. It had been a quiet couple of months, which was completely unexpected, but you still had your guard up. Things didn't just stop abruptly, you knew that. You knew it would catch up eventually, and you had to be ready. You weren't too sure of what you exactly had to be ready_ for _, so you prepared for basically anything and everything._

 _As if on cue, several knocks on your door startled you from your thoughts. Your heart leapt when whoever was at the door didn't announce their identity. You silently sank to the floor, hoping you still remained unseen, and inched towards the window. Peeking through a crack in the curtains, you saw two young women standing expectantly at the door. The lights from the parking lot illuminated their backsides, and slightly lit their mostly shadowed faces. From what you could tell, they were around the same height, and were definitely not officers, at least not uniformed ones. One had shaggy, blonde hair, that went just past her ears, the other seemed to have long red locks. Just as you were about to confirm if you knew them, the blonde one yelled: "(Y/N), it's Meg and Charlie. Open up!"_

 _You stood up with a moan as you made your way to the bolted door. This had to be good. Unlocking the door, your two old friends stood cheerfully next to one another. You had not seen them in months, but not much had changed. Both of their hair lengthened, but they still looked pretty youthful. You would have smiled if the situation had been different._

"What the hell are you guys doing here?! How did you even find me?!" _You half yelled, half whispered._

" _Well, we were in town for an end-of-the-year party with a couple of friends, and we saw you here at the motel. We were already here since yesterday night, but didn't notice you until earlier today. You looked like you were in a hurry, so I decided we should stop by later on. And… here we are!" Meg explained._

" _If it makes you feel any better, I totally wasn't for this. I wanted to leave you be. But of course, she kind of blackmailed me into it." Charlie added sheepishly with a shrug._

" _Guys, I love you, a lot. But I left for a reason; you can't be here." You said._

" _Why not? We're your friends. It's not like we're gonna run to the police or something." Meg said._

" _You don't understand. You can't be here, I don't want you guys in this." You said._

 _Charlie smiled in sadly. "Look, (Y/N), maybe we can-"_

 _Meg held up a hand before she could finish. "You know what? Fine. You can't trust us, you can't trust anybody, right?"_

" _No, Meg, that's not what I meant." You said._

" _Forget it. We're going." She said as you were still speaking. "And you know what? You're weak, worthless even. Only a coward runs away from their problems. What do you think this is going to solve,_ _ **huh?!**_ "

" _Meg, stop." Charlie said._

" _No, I'm not gonna stop. You know why? Because (s/he) needs to hear it! (S/he) knows I'm right too."_

 _You glared as your eyes started to moisten._

" _Let's go Charlie." Meg said._

 _Meg turned on her heels angrily and strutted away towards their room. Charlie still stood in the doorway, somehow appearing smaller than she normally did. She stared at you with an utter look of melancholy._

" _(Y/N).. I.."_

" _Just go, Charlie.. Please."_

 _That was the last you would ever see her, you were sure._

"You're right," you said defiantly, "I am weak."

The sudden change of your demeanor made the kumiho send a questioning glance your way.

"But I am _**not**_ , worthless."

You unscrewed the lid of your glass jar and pulled out the long string of thread, glaring at the creature in front of you. She was suddenly entranced, just like Dean was not even a moment ago.

"Come get it, _bitch_." You said.

The monster then began to race towards you expectedly, sending you to run in the opposite direction. You had planned this spare of the moment, so you didn't really know where this was headed. Obviously, the ultimate goal was to trap it, but you couldn't exactly pinpoint how you could do that and remain in one piece. You could also only run for so long, so you had to think of something, and fast. While you were simultaneously glancing back at the kumiho and all around you, you spotted a semi-deep ditch out towards the crop fields. An idea popped into your head, a stupid one. As if you haven't made enough of those already. But you were running out of options, literally.

"Screw it." You muttered to yourself, as you heard Dean's voice scream out somewhere behind you.

You were going to be selfish, but for the right reasons this time.

* * *

" _(Y/N)!"_

The world was dark and uncomfortable; it smelled of earthy greens and soil. Cold lightly nipped at your body as you became a little more aware of everything. You couldn't figure out where you were and why, but you felt exhausted, so exhausted. You could barely will your eyes to open, as if they were glued shut. Multiple male voices were yelling out your name, but you couldn't place who they were coming from.

After several tries, you finally pried your eyes open to slits. You noticed you were lying in a ditch; a jar with a milky but airy substance inside lay in front of you. It all flooded back to you; the kumiho, the entrapment, the ditch, _Sam and Dean_. The adrenaline spike instantly gave you the energy to open your eyes completely. You looked around, squinting due to the bright field lights somewhere above you.

"(Y/N)?" You heard from behind you, causing you to turn a little too quickly for your liking.

"Dean, you're.. okay." You said.

"Yeah, but obviously you're not. Here, I'll give you a hand." He said as Sam and Bobby appeared next to him to help.

Your view turned and darkened at the edges as they pulled you up from the small ditch. Luckily, you leaned into Dean and Bobby for support before your body could even think of passing out again. Seeing your state, Sam decided to take it upon himself to retrieve the glass jar from the ditch, careful to not open it or break it. His long legs allowed him to get back out of the ditch with little assistance.

" _What_ were you _**thinking?**_ You could have gotten yourself killed!" Bobby asked.

"I wasn't. Hell, I couldn't have," you replied weakly, "or else Dean would have been puppy chow."

"Sadly, (s/he)'s right." Dean said.

Sam and Bobby looked at you with pure exasperation.

"Should have gave you more credit than I originally did, kid." Bobby sighed.

"It's okay, I understand." You replied. "You think maybe we could go back to the motel now? I'm kind of tired."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sam said, "we have to figure out the rest of our game plan anyway. As well as get you two patched up."

 _Patched up?_ You looked at your body, only seeing minor scrapes and bruises. _Which only meant…_ You looked up at Dean, who had bite marks on his left ear and on his neck. Odd, you hadn't remembered those. Some blood was also spotted on his torso and shoulder blades.

"Don't worry, I've had worse. You on the other hand-" Dean shone his flashlight into your eyes. "-probably have not. So let's get back." Dean said.

You blinked rapidly, trying to clear the blotches from your vision. "Oh, and by the way, do _**not**_ fall asleep on the way back." He added.

Before you could question why, Sam and Bobby added, "Just trust him."


	18. Chapter 18

"Alright, let's take a look at you." Dean said, looking down at you.

As you sat on the edge of one of the cheap motel beds, Dean moved a finger side to side in front of your eyes. You lazily tried to follow it, but couldn't seem to keep up. Maybe it was because of the stitches scattered across his face, or the events that unfolded within the last couple of days, but you couldn't tell. You felt disoriented, and couldn't piece anything together, no matter how hard you tried.

"Just what I thought, you have a concussion." He concluded.

You blinked. "Well that makes sense, now that you mention it."

"So I don't know what you were planning on doing after this hunt, but you're hopefully going to be mostly with us for a couple more days, just to be safe?" Dean offered.

A pause. "I think I can do that." You said smiling.

Dean returned the smile. "Good."

"Alright boys, I think my work here is done. I'll be taking this fella," -Bobby held up the kumiho inside the jar- "back to my place. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call or stop by."

He began to open the motel room door. "Oh, and take care (Y/N)." Bobby added with a smile.

"Thanks Bobby, you too." You said.

After Bobby had left, each of you pondered momentarily before speaking.

"So, (Y/N)," Sam asked, "what are your plans after you can get back out into the open? You know, without walking into a pole?"

You chuckled. "I'm not really sure. At this point, I've been really just winging it."

"Well for just 'winging it', you're doing a pretty good job, at least from what I can tell." Dean said.

"You think so?" You asked.

"Yeah! I mean, most people with this type of stuff just bolt. I know you said you had issues you were running from. But, you know, you've got fight in you, even if you don't see it. You faced monsters you didn't think existed, without running away. And that, takes bravery." Dean said.

"Wow, I….I guess you're right.. Wait, you think I'm... brave?" You asked.

"For sure. I agree with Dean." Sam said.

You looked down as your face turned pink. "Who would have known.. The people I thought were brave, actually think that of me."

The brothers' eyes gleamed as they smiled. You then realized that no one had really thanked them, nor told them their worth, besides true family.

"You know, you guys are adored more than you know, right?" You asked.

"Huh?" They asked in harmony.

"I know you know that you have fans and such, but they aren't all crazy. Actually, there are stories, message boards, and projects, dedicated to your stories. We want to be hunters, just like you. All of us? We look up to you. Even though we know you are 'fictional'." You explained.

"Really?" Sam asked, his face in clear shock.

"But why? I've kinda said this before, but _why_ would anyone want to have our lives?" Dean asked.

"Because, you inspire us. Your story makes us want to stand up to evil, even if it's not a monster, but any of our life struggles. I've always wanted to face things like you guys have, but I didn't think I had it in me."

"Well, now you know you do." Sam said.

You looked up at them as a lightbulb lit up in your head.

"What?" Dean asked, noticing your expression.

"You guys just gave me an idea." You said quietly.

* * *

At the break of dawn, the three of you packed your belongings into the Impala, and set out to Illinois. Thankfully, the drive wasn't very long. The scenery though, was absolutely breathtaking. You had never really paid attention to it in the past, since you were so caught up in your own thoughts and worries. It may not have been the scenic route, but you probably wouldn't have known the difference if someone were to tell you it wasn't one. And besides, you didn't care anyway, it was beautiful all the same.

In the early hours of the afternoon, you had just crossed the Indiana/Illinois border line. The traffic was now a steady flow, unlike the morning cram. You weren't too worried on when you would exactly arrive where you wanted to go, since it was a weekend, and that gave you more opportunities to fulfill your idea. The whole ride was basically silent, only, it was a comfortable silence. Most of the it was filled by Dean lightly tapping along to his cassettes on his steering wheel, the road beneath you, and the cool breeze seeping in through the slightly open windows. It felt as natural breathing; you inhaled contently at the thought.

The sun was high in the sky by the time you pulled up to an all-too-familiar, average sized, cozy house. Butterflies and warmth tickled your stomach, but you pushed it all down the best you could.

"You sure about this?" Sam asked, leaning over his seat.

"Yeah, uh, we could come to the door with you, if you want." Dean suggested.

"No, it's okay. This is my battle. If there's something you guys taught me, it's that I need to face them, and I can." You said.

"You want us to wait outside for you?" Dean asked.

"Uh, you don't have to. This might be a while, and I can give you a call when I'm done." You said.

"Alright." He replied.

You inched your way to the white front door and occasionally glanced back at the brothers. Each time you looked back, they gave you a small sense of security. This had to have been the biggest moment in your life, you were sure of it. You just hoped you wouldn't screw it up like before; because you knew that sometimes, there was no turning back. And you felt that if you messed up this time, you probably wouldn't be able to even think about coming back from it. You rang the doorbell; it was only a few moments until you saw that familiar redhead open up the door. As soon as she saw your face, hers instantly lit up the entire block.

" _(Y/N), oh my god!_ " She practically screamed.

You warmly smiled in return. "Hi Charlie."

"What are you doing here? Is everything okay? I thought-"

"I'll explain, I promise," you interrupted, "can I come inside for a while?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course!"

You smiled confidently back at the boys one last time, before you stepped into the front hall and the door lightly closed behind you.


	19. Chapter 19

As soon as Charlie observed all was well, she wrapped you in a tight hug for a long couple of moments. The hug wasn't completely unexpected, so you reciprocated it for as long as you both needed it. You only let go first because you knew this visit was more for her, not you.

"Oh my god, (Y/N), it's been so long." She said with a wavering voice.

"I know, but you'll understand once I explain everything." You said.

"Here, you can sit down if you're gonna be a while. Coffee? Water?" Charlie offered.

"Some coffee would be great Charles." You replied, the smile never fully leaving your face..

In a jiffy, she fixed up whatever coffee was left from not long ago, which was thankfully still warm. Originally, she began making a new batch, but you assured her that the one she had from this morning (around an hour ago) was alright, as long as it was still fresh. She grabbed a small platter tray, quickly dumped some saltines and cubed cheese onto it, and hustled back to the sitting room where you sat.

"Where have you been? You've had so many different phone numbers, I honestly couldn't keep track." She began.

"Honestly? Probably every corner of the states. I was, running, you could say." You said.

"I figured that much. What from? You know you can always tell me anything, right?" She reassured.

"I know; at the time, I didn't think it was safe to tell anyone anything, you know, just to be safe. I was running from myself, my life, everything. It may have seemed that everything was peachy keen, but really? I felt trapped, and couldn't get out. And I feared that if anyone knew where I was, I would get into some deep trouble, somewhere along the line." You said

"Why didn't you just drop out? That probably could have been an easier route than just bolting and not looking back at all.." Charlie said.

"Essentially, I did drop out. Maybe not the correct way, but I did. I didn't have a job, and I wasn't going to find one any time soon, especially with how everyone is basically unemployed, or all the good jobs are taken.. I didn't have money… There was no way I could have paid anything off in time. So, I ran off the grid."

"I could've helped you, yanno.. I still have quite a bit of inheritance money left, and I'd be happy to help."

"Wait.. You do?"

"I mean it isn't a huge boatload of money, but yeah. I'd say it's a sufficient amount to help you get started with payments."

"You still have it? I mean, I hate to be greedy… but-"

"Oh yeah, of course. I only use it for school anyway, but I'm pretty much all set. You on the other hand, you need it. Feel free to take it! Free of paybacks, I swear."

You beamed as tears freely streamed down your cheeks. You shouldn't have expected the worst, but as always, you did. Deep down, you knew Charlie would help you, but anxiety always got the worst of you; it shielded you from what was really there.

"Oh god Charlie, what did I ever do to deserve someone like you?" You asked.

"You were a nerdy geek, which meant you deserved my love from the start." She said with a wink.

From there, it finally clicked into place. Everything you thought was lost, was dug back out to the surface. Finally, everything was okay. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was okay.

* * *

Around a couple hours later, you felt it was a good time to text the brothers to pick you up. You and Charlie had an eventful couple of hours catching up, and you felt she should enjoy the rest of the weekend while she could. It didn't take long for them to pull back into their original spot on the curb; you figured they must have drove around or stopped somewhere while you were with Charlie. Dean honked the horn seeing the two of you sitting on the front porch.

"So, they told you who they were, huh?" Charlie asked, walking beside you to the car.

"No, actually, I actually figured it out myself." You said.

Charlie smirked knowingly. "Always were a smart cookie."

You pretty much strode towards the car; it all seemed to be going in slow motion. Here you were, with someone you never thought you would see again, after a hunt with your heroes, Sam and Dean Winchester. You faced your problems, you were… actually okay.

"You know, I was wondering if and when you were going to piece everything together." She said.

"How did you know them anyway?" You asked.

"Well, I met them on accident a while ago, while they were on a case. Ever since I found out what they did, I kinda wanted to help." She said bashfully.

"And you didn't bother to tell me these guys existed? Keeping them all to yourself.. sneaky." You teased.

"Hey hey, they wanted to be kept on the low anyway! You should know that it's how hunters are!" She said.

"You're the one that read the books Missy, you should know that by now!" Dean teased with a wink, as you and Charlie were a short distance from the car.

"They..know?" Charlie whispered.

"Oh relax, they didn't take it too bad when I explained to them how I was." You said.

"Hey Charlie, long time no see." Sam said after your brief exchange.

"Oh my god, I missed you guys so much!" Charlie exclaimed.

Sam opened his door and Dean followed suit, already expecting Charlie's bone-crushing hugs.

Knowing that they already knew each other pretty well almost made you a bit jealous, but you didn't let it get in the way.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"The usual, but seeing a familiar face normally helps." Dean said.

She punched him affectionately.

After the short hug session, you all talked for who knows how long. You knew it was a while though, since the sun was already past high noon by the observation of your shadows. You talked about how you all knew each other, previous hunts, funny stories. It was truly weird, talking with your best friend and the Winchesters, an honest dream come true. But it felt right. It felt like you belonged, maybe even, normal.

"You know, (Y/N), you really do make a nice asset for the team." Charlie commented.

"You really think so?" You asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I know you are a fan of the series and all," -The boys rolled their eyes playfully- "but you're truly hunter material." She said.

You felt your cheeks turn a light shade of pink, causing you to look anywhere but at a face.

"Thanks Char, you always know how to flatter me." You said.

She smiled. "Of course."

"Well, I think it's about time we head off, what do you say (Y/N)?" Sam asked, peering down at you.

"I agree. I mean, I know Saturday is normally your study day, Charlie, so I won't hold you for too long." You said.

"You know I wouldn't mind if you ever wanted to stay longer anyway, (Y/N)." She said, the smile returning to her freckled face.

The three of you got into your usual seats, got settled, and slowly pulled back onto the main road. You knew Dean drove slower just so you could all wave and say your farewells, and you couldn't be more grateful. Everything felt so complete, almost like a happy movie ending honestly. Your heart was filled with a warm light, for the first time in forever, and you hoped it would never disappear again.

"You know, Charlie was right back there you know, about you being a hunter," Dean said, looking at you in the rearview mirror, "you could tag along with us, if you wanted."

You looked back into his eyes, and then to Sam, who also was looking back at you. You never in your life knew what you truly wanted. But at that moment, it hit you; you knew all along. You were a fighter, and this, was your destiny.


End file.
